


The Important Things

by LittleLynn



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Bard is entirely unaware of this, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Thranduil is a prince, and a bit of a bumpy ride for our favourite hot bi dads, another long fic begins, i hate tagging and may add more later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2016-08-25
Packaged: 2018-04-19 22:59:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 50,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4764164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLynn/pseuds/LittleLynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Bard finds a man and his young son stranded with a broken down car at a motorway service station without so much as a penny or a phone to their name, he doesn't exactly assume that it's the crown prince of the country having done a runner. </p><p>He pays for that assumption.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Because who doesn't love a modern au where one of them is royalty and the other somehow doesn't know this? 
> 
> And I may well change the summary at some point because it is currently shiiitt

 

Bard sighed as he looked at the little dial on the dash telling him he was almost out of petrol, he hated buying petrol on the motorway, it was always twice as expensive. But he was going to have to at some point anyway, that had been inevitable, so he just grumbled to himself and kept an eye out for the next service station, at least he would be able to grab some dinner as well.

He figured he was about half way home so now was as good a time as any to stop anyway, even if he was keen to get back as soon as possible. It was the first time he had been away from his kids, even if it was only for a day, but they needed to be at school and his neighbour had offered to watch them for the day while Bard took the long drive into London and back home.

It was nothing serious, but had needed doing, and it was better really that he hadn’t needed to drag his children down there with him on a weekend, even if he did hate leaving them, even just for a day. They’d probably be in bed by the time he got home, in fact they definitely should be because it was going to take a good few hours to get home and it was already seven in the evening.

As he parked his truck up in the service’s car park he pulled out phone and quickly dialled home, it only rang once before an excited voice answered.

“Is that you Da?” Tilda squeaked happily down the phone.

“Yeah munchkin, you all doing alright without me?” Bard asked, pretty sure he already knew the answer.

Bard was staring idly out his front windshield and caught sight of someone in a hoddie with a baseball cap pulled low, bending over a car engine, with a little boy stood next to him dressed similarly and shuffling his feet. They looked like they were having a bad day, Bard would offer them a hand if he hadn’t figured it out by the time he was off the phone.

“Yes! Hilda took us to the park after school and we had loads of fun! But now she’s making us do our homework.” Tilda added with a grumble, making Bard laugh, he was ever thankful for having Hilda in their lives.

“Glad to hear it. How are Bain and Sig?” Bard asked, the tall guy in the hoddie clearly had no idea what he was doing with a broken down car, just staring blankly at it, maybe he’d forgotten his phone and couldn’t call anyone to come give him a tow.

He heard a shuffle down the other end of the line and soon enough it was clear he had been put on loudspeaker by the chorus of ‘hi da’s’ and the ‘hello Bard’ that joined them. He was assured that everyone was okay and behaving like the little angels they could be when they wanted to be, before giving Hilda a rough guess about when he would be home and eventually being shooed off the phone and told to drive safe.

Bard shoved his phone back in his pocket and climbed out of his truck, heading over to the man who was now actually kicking the wheel of his car in frustration.

“You need a hand there?” Bard asked as he approached, making the man jump and whirl around to face him, the little boy hiding behind who Bard presumed was his father’s legs.

The first thing Bard noticed was the piercing blue eyes, the second was just how beautiful the face that owned them was, smooth ivory skin, high cheekbones, a sharp jaw and what looked like beautiful silver blonde hair under that baseball cap. He was absolutely certain the boy was his son from the long blonde hair he had tucked inside a hat, peering up at Bard curiously with equally blue but far softer eyes.

The man looked apprehensive at first, like he was highly suspicious of why Bard would want to help him, it just made Bard think that people didn’t offer to help each other enough these days, so he did his best to look as genuine as he was in his offer.

“Why do you want to help me?” The man asked distrustfully, his voice deep and rich.

“Because you look like you’re having a pretty shit day and I know a few things about cars, might be able to get you going again.” Bard answered honestly, sometimes about the man’s face niggled in the back of his mind, but he pushed it away, right now it was hardly important.

“What do you know about cars?” He asked and Bard did his best to give him a reassuring smile, wondering what had got the man quite so guarded around other people.

“I’m a mechanic.” Bard told him and very slowly the man stepped to the side and nodded slightly, which Bard took as the go ahead to take a look at the engine.

It didn’t take long for him to figure out what the problem was, now that he was close he could feel how hot the engine was and see the last remnants of smoke coming up from the engine.

“Oil leak. Lucky you pulled over or you might have gone boom. It’s not gunna be safe to drive I’m afraid.” Bard grimaced as he told him, seeing the slightly desperate look passing over the other man’s face, like he wasn’t quite sure what he was going to do. “Can you call someone?” Bard suggested.

“No phone, no money and now no car.” He answered shaking his head and sinking into sitting on the tarmac, burying his face in his hands and heaving a huge sigh, the little boy holding onto his sleeve as he did so, it was a bit tragic to watch.

“Okay, up you get.” Bard instructed, offering the man his hand and wiggling his fingers when he neither took it nor got up, instead fixing him with a quizzical look.

“What for?” He asked, eyeing Bard’s hand, that suspicious look back in his face.  

“I’m going to buy you some dinner and you can use my phone to call someone to come get you.” Bard told him and the man genuinely looked shocked by his offer.

“I can’t accept.” He shook his head and the boy looked more than ready to accept some food.

“Nonsense, all they have here is Whimpy anyway so it’s hardly going to be expensive.” Bard snorted, they would be eating cheap burgers and fries in no time. “We can kill time till someone comes to give you a tow or pick you up.” The man looked about ready to protest again. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”

He looked a little taken aback, a in a slightly dazed manner took Bard’s hand and let him haul him up from the ground and lead the way inside. Bard did not miss the way he pulled his baseball cap lower over his eyes as they went inside and picked up the little boy, he was beginning to think he was running away from something.

Bard ordered them some food while the other man and his son found them a little table tucked up right in a corner of the restaurant.

“Two burgers and chips, I even got you both a milkshake.” Bard added with a wink and it actually managed to startle the smallest laugh out of the other man.

“Thank you mister!” The boy yelped happily, digging into his dinner quickly.

“Thank you.” He said quietly as he took a bite out of his burger and then proceeded to look at Bard like he had just seen the face of god.

“What? You’d think it was the first time you’d ever had a crappy burger.” Bard laughed and he suddenly got the distinct feeling that that was actually the case. “So what are your names?” Bard asked, tucking into his own food.

“Thran.” He answered after a little pause, as if calculating what he should tell Bard, Bard got the feeling that Thran was short for something, or maybe it was a nickname because he couldn’t think of any name that shortened into Thran. “And this is Legolas.” He said indicating his son who had a mouthful of food, their names rung a bell but Bard figured he must’ve just met someone else with those names a while back, not that they were exactly common names.

“I’m Bard, nice to meet you.” Bard smiled before throwing a couple of chips into his mouth and Thran seemed to be relaxing ever so slightly. “Oh, you need to call someone.” Bard realised, grabbing his phone out his pocket and putting it on the table in front of Thran.

“Uh.” Thran said articulately, looking at the phone awkwardly, like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with it.

“Not know anyone’s number off the top of your head?” Bard asked, nodding to himself, he could never remember phone numbers either. “I can find you the number of a good tow company if you like.” He suggested but Thran shook his head, biting at his bottom lip a little nervously.

“Okay.” Bard started, taking another bite of his burger. “Who’re you running away from?” He asked and a cool mask descended over Thran’s features, doing nothing other than confirming that he was indeed running away from someone or something.

“What makes you think we’re running away from anything.” He asked, voice indecipherable except for the defensive edge to it.  

“Because you look like you left in a hurry without any money or even your phone, are acting very suspicious of my every move and now won’t let me call you a tow. Not to mention the cap you keep pulling down over your face. You don’t want to go home.” Bard reasoned out, careful to keep his tone kind, and Thran deflated in front of him a little, luckily Legolas was far more interested in his food than what the adults were saying.

He was living in hope that he hadn’t actually come across a fugitive, but his instincts were telling him he was okay, that he just needed some help.

“My family. They’re very…resourceful and will probably find us anyway. We’ll go back, I never intended to run away for good, it just, it all got a bit much and I needed to leave.” Thran answered a little cryptically.

“What did they do?” Bard asked and he was being nosey but Thran didn’t have to answer him, he did though.

“They’re overbearing, controlling and domineering. My whole life is.” He sighed and Bard could hear just how tired he sounded, not to mention the little dark bags under his icy blue eyes.

“Alright then.” Bard said, sucking a bit of milkshake through the straw (he would never stop loving milkshakes).

“Alright?” Thran asked slightly confused, forehead knitting together a little.  

“Yeah, alright, you want a lift anywhere?” Bard clarified. “I’m hardly going to abandon you at a service station with neither a phone nor money. So where are you running to?”

“Just, away. For a bit.” Thran sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face and looking at his son apologetically, even though his son was more than happy munching down on his burger in that moment.

“I can do that.” Bard told him and Thran looked at him in surprise again.

“Do what?”

“’Away’ it’s about another three hours before I get back to my town, it’s in the middle of nowhere, you’re welcome to tag along.” Bard shrugged. “Hide out there for a while if you want.”

“Why are you being so generous?” Thran asked, suspicion alive once again in his voice.

And really it was a good question, and Bard wasn’t entirely sure of the answer himself, except that Thran looked bone tired and had a small boy with him and for whatever reason he trusted him. And sometimes, it was just nice to get a break, wherever it came from.

“You look like you need a break. And when you’re having a truly horrible time of it, it’s just nice to know you have a friend, even if they are a little unexpected.”

“Are you my friend then?” Thran asked, amused smile playing on his lips, and it was a much better expression than one of a cold mask or suspicion.

“Who knows? Not yet I suppose, but I could be.” Bard reasoned, dunking a fry in some ketchup and chucking it in his mouth while Thran seemed to study him, Bard had a feeling greater people than him had withered under that gaze before.

But he held fast, just watching Thran right back, before the man sighed again.

“We don’t have any money with us, what would we even do when we get there?” Thran grumbled at his own disorganisation, and Bard wondered what had happened to make him feel the need to vanish before he could even think to scoop up his wallet and phone, it seemed the only thing he had with him was his son.  

“I agree, you should think through your next attempt to run away a bit better.” Bard teased, a little thrill running through him when it managed to make the corners of Thran’s mouth quirk into a little smile. “But we can worry about that when we get there.” Bard offered, even if Thran called his family when they reached Laketown, that was still another few hours of respite he got on the road.

Bard couldn’t tell what was running through Thran’s head as he sat there, watching Bard with those sparkling blue eyes.

“If you really don’t mind…” He started hesitantly, some new wariness in his tone, like his instincts were telling him to trust Bard, but something ingrained in him from life was telling him not to trust anyone.

“I wouldn’t offer if I did.” Bard smiled, he figured one of three things would happen when they got to Laketown; either Thran would finally call home, or they would find somewhere to stay for the night.

“Thank you ‘ister Bard.” Legolas said around a mouthful of fries, making Bard laugh and Thran frown.

“Legolas, don’t speak with your mouthful. Where are your manners.” He scolded gently and Legolas laboriously chewed and swallowed his mouthful.

“Thank you mister Bard.” He said again, this time without mumbling around the food in his mouth and then he smiled at his father.

“Much better little leaf.” Thran smiled, petting his son’s head – well his hat anyway – and making Bard melt a little.

He wondered for a moment where Legolas’ mother was, and got a horrible feeling he had just fond something he had in common with this beautiful stranger.

Bard desperately wanted to be nosey, about a whole lot of things, but Thran seemed rather incredibly wary of any and all questions, let alone slightly intrusive ones, so Bard did is best to keep them to himself.

“Better?” Bard asked with an amused raised eyebrow as Legolas scoffed down the final bite of his burger and slurped up the last of his milkshake.

“Yes thank you.” He grinned, he looked about five, about Tilda’s age, he also like her had a painfully cute little face.

“You’re welcome.” Bard smiled back and it seemed to reassure Legolas enough for him to feel safe enough to launch into a stream of questions about Bard and his life and what he did and what it was like and his family and a whole tirade of other things as well.

Thran looked concerned by the stream of questions coming from his son, but Bard’s easy answers must have made him realise that he really didn’t mind being asked, because he didn’t stop his son, instead he just listened intently as well, seeming to find some sort of reassurance of his own in Bard’s boring life. Maybe he figured that if Bard was actually some psycho he wouldn’t be chatting away about his children with Legolas. Maybe Thran’s instincts as much as Bard were telling him that the other could be trusted, but whatever it was, the blonde seemed to relax a bit by bit as the conversation went on.

Bard did think it was a little odd how absolutely fascinated Legolas seemed about Bard’s utterly mundane life, but then he supposed he strangest things could be interesting to children.

“We should get going if we don’t want it to be the middle of the night by the time we reach Laketown.” Bard said after a little while, Thran nodding his assent and as they got up from their tucked away table Thran pulled down his cap once again and picked up Legolas, like he was trying to hide from everyone else in the restaurant.

Thran headed back to his own car and pulled out one very hastily packed looking bag before locking and essentially abandoning the car there, at least for now. Bard opened the door of his truck and as Thran put their bag in the back Bard helped Legolas strap himself into one of the backseats.

He shut Legolas’ door gently and went to walk around the car and climb into the driver’s side, and as he did Thran caught his wrist gently, his face almost heartbreakingly earnest.

“Really. Thank you. You can’t know how much it means, what you’re doing for us.” Thran told him, sounding utterly sincere, he really was incredibly beautiful, even as tired as he clearly was.

“I’m helping a friend.” Bard smiled softly and Thran returned it, it made Bard want to kiss him, but now really wouldn’t be the time, h didn’t want Thran to think he wanted something from him.

They climbed into the truck – Thran significantly more elegantly than Bard managed – and he started it up, driving out the service station with his two unexpected passengers in tow, he didn’t miss Thran’s sigh of relief as they hit the road again as if he had just been waiting for someone to catch up with him and send him home.

They chatted as Bard drove and it wasn’t long before Legolas was fast asleep in the back, snoring lightly and making them both laugh a little at the sound. With every mile Thran relaxed a little more, whether because of Bard or just because of the miles they were putting between him and wherever he had come from Bard wasn’t sure, maybe both.

Either way, Thran seemed to come alive as they drove, getting more comfortable with Bard and revealing a rather wonderfully snarky side of his personality that had Bard laughing more than once on the drive.

“You know considering you’re not even the one driving you’re getting some pretty bad road rage there.” Bard snorted after another of Thran’s cutting remarks on another driver as they drove slowly and annoyingly down the middle lane of the motorway, making Bard move around them.

“People should learn to drive.” Thran grumbled, and Bard was about to try and defend the general driving population when someone decided to cut him up while changing lanes and Bard glared out his window, Thran laughing at the perfect timing.

He was painfully beautiful when he laughed, Bard was pretty sure he could get drunk on the sound. And in the safety of the car Thran had pushed the hood of his hoddie down and taken of his baseball cap, revealing a mane of silver hair that looked like spun silk and Bard wondered at how that could possibly be natural – and yet he would bet money it was. Bard also go the feeling Thran didn’t usually dress in hoodies, he sat far too elegantly for that.

Bard almost felt like he should recognise him, like that was just on the periphery of his mind, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He shook off the feeling, he would know if he had ever seen someone who looked like Thran before, he was not someone Bard was likely to forget.

He was mysterious as well, with his impossible hair and fine features and dark brows, not to mention the way Bard had only been given a shortened name and the whole mystery of what exactly was going on in his life that left someone like him with nothing but a duffle bag to his name. The whole thing, Thran’s whole everything, was a little enticing. It left a couple of questions running through Bard’s mind.

What on earth was he running from, and who exactly was he? Because Bard was getting the feeling that he ought to know.

Bard wasn’t sure, but there was a smile on Thran’s face and his words were easy as he pointed out various constellations low on the horizon, all the tired worry having slowly melted from his face, and he could hear Legolas snoring quietly in the back it.

It made something warm settle in Bard’s stomach, and he knew one thing; he was glad he had been the one to find them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a vague and rough plan, basically this has the potential to get rather long, I hope you enjoyed chapter one and might stick around for the whole ride ;D
> 
> Lemme know what you think so far! <3


	2. Chapter 2

 

They were probably about fifteen minutes out of Laketown, the drive had taken longer than it should have because of course there was an accident on the motorway that held them up for an extra hour, but Bard hadn’t really minded, because it had given him more time to get to know Thran.

And okay, thran was very carefully not giving him any details about his family beyond the very very vague, but he still felt like he was getting to know him. He knew about the stars, or well Bard supposed it could’ve all been bullshit because he didn’t know jack shit about stars, but why would Thran lie about it? And honestly the stories he told about them were so beautiful it almost didn’t matter if they were true or not.

Thran liked the outdoors, enjoying spending time out in the woods but not getting nearly enough chances to do so with his busy and unyielding schedule. He talked a lot about fashion and how much he liked it and Bard had looked at his old hoodie with a raised eyebrow and Thran had laughed that deep melodic laugh and Bard had warmed up inside.

But what Thran talked about most, almost endlessly, was Legolas. Thran didn’t like the world Legolas was being brought up in, and Bard didn’t think Thran was just talking about the general state of the earth, he was fairly sure it had something to do with this controlling family of his.

He learned that Legolas loved archery beyond everything else and Thran looked like he couldn’t believe his ears when bard told him he had almost gone pro himself, he’d prove it at some point though, show Legolas his bows, maybe if they stayed in Laketown a little while he would give Legolas a lesson with the small and safe child’s bow he had for his own kids.

He really hoped they stayed for a little while.

Bard was gnawing on his lip, um-ing and arr-ing between what he wanted to offer and whether or not he should offer. Because he really wanted to offer Thran a bed in his house, he could shift onto the sofa for a while, he didn’t mind, he just had the urge to protect Thran rom the world right now because he had been so guarded and distrustful and after the long drive he was coming out of his shell and Bard loved it, loved what he was finding there.

 Which was completely mad, because he did not know either of these people, they could be anyone and really he should help them get a room at a hotel for a few nights and then call it a day, but for some reason Bard just really did not like the idea of that. Maybe it was the way Thran was hiding, even in the service station, so Bard doubted he would feel particularly safe in a hotel.

But on the flip side, he didn’t want to sound like some kind of psycho trying to trap Thran in his house after knowing him for a few hours. He had no idea which arrangement Thran would like better either, a hotel room to hide out in for a few days or holing up in Bard’s house for a little while, but he guess he was about to find out.

“We’re probably about fifteen minutes away from my town.” Bard said softly, not wanting to wake the sleeping child in the back, Thran had been looking out the window at the rolling countryside and the twinkling stars with a content look on his face.

“You really do live in the middle of nowhere.” Thran chucked lightly, no doubt wondering at how they hadn’t come across much civilisation for a long while, heading down the long country roads to Laketown.

“Aye, I’m afraid so.” Bard agreed with a smile and a slight grimace, the town kind of existed outside of the rest of the world, really he wanted to move himself and the kids out of there, but they couldn’t afford to do that right now, or indeed probably ever.

“I didn’t say it was a bad thing.” Thran smiled, and Bard guessed that made sense, the more tucked away the better probably as far as Thran is concerned.

“Well it isn’t particularly big, or nice for that matter.” Bard said a little self depreciatingly.

He both hated and loved the town, he hated it because of everything about it, it was too small, too insular, too… _fishy_. Which was really just salt in the wound because the lake had been running low on fish for a very long time now and with the fish went the town’s main source of income, so the townspeople had not being doing so well lately. Bard had tried time and again to get the town and townspeople to branch out and find new vocations, but the Master always shut him down before he could get anything done.

The Master was most definitely the main reason he hated the town, why couldn’t the old bastard call himself the mayor like every other place did and why did they never seem to have any kind of election either?

There was only one reason he liked the town, and that was his friends and his family, they were all there. He had known most of them since childhood, they were a community, none none of them wanted the Master to be anywhere near but none of them being sure what on earth they could do about him either. The town had welcomed him back with open arms – all except the Master and his little rat Alfrid of course – after he had been away for half a decade, following his wife and her work over to Canada. But then she had died, and Bard stayed out there for a little while but he wanted to go home, their house in Canada had never felt like home without her.

He hadn’t meant to come back to Laketown though, not at first, and there were still times when he wished he hadn’t. But that was where his mother was, where his friends were, and with three young children, it just seemed like a best place to be, somewhere with a support system close by. So almost three years ago now, they had moved back, and things were better, but that didn’t mean he wanted to stay in Laketown forevermore.

Unfortunately money was always going to be an issue, he could hardly imagine a future where he didn’t worry about money almost constantly, it just didn’t seem to be one the cards for them. But that was okay, they didn’t need money to be happy, although he couldn’t help but wish he could by Sigrid those books she had been eyeing up, and Tilda the dress that she had liked, and Bain the new football shirt that had come out. It didn’t seem like so much to ask from the universe really, but apparently it was.

Meanwhile some rich fucker was dodging taxes and throwing away more than Bard and the kids would use in a month.

But he tried not to be bitter about that, he didn’t want to end up a bitter person.

“I’m sure it’s lovely.” Thran assured him and Bard couldn’t help but snort a little at that, he guessed Thran would see with his own two eyes soon enough anyway.

“I’m not sure what will be open this time at night.” Bard said cautiously, mulling over his words, it was past eleven in the evening already. “There’s a motel that will probably be open and we could shift you into one of the semi-nice b&b’s tomorrow.” Bard told him, before continuing carefully. “Or, you and Legolas are more than welcome to stay the night at my house, as long as you don’t mind three noisy kids that have to be up to go to school in the morning.”

“We’ve imposed on you too much already. I couldn’t possibly let you do that for us.” Thran answered, and Bard wasn’t sure which offer he was talking about, the money for the motel and b&b or to crash at his place, somehow he felt it was probably both.  

“I’m not going to leave you out on the street.” Bard told him firmly, leaving no room for argument. “You can call that tow or your family if you like, or you can stay either in the motel or with us, but there is no chance I’m leaving you stranded and alone in the middle of nowhere.”

There was a pause, thran looking caught between staring into his lap and turning that penetrating gaze on Bard, as if he could see inside his thoughts and figure out if he was telling the truth just from looking at him.

“If you truly do not mind.” Thran started, a little awkwardly, Bard got the feeling he wasn’t used to relative strangers offering him such kindness genuinely, but then, who was used to it these days?

“I truly do not.” Bard promised him with a smile, still not sure which option Thran was opting for.

“In which case I would be immeasurably grateful if we could stay with you.” Thran told him and Bard couldn’t help his smile, it was good, it meant he wouldn’t have to worry about them all night in some slightly dodgy motel, not to mention getting them things like breakfast.

“We’ll be happy to have you.” Bard assured him, hoping his sincerity bled through into his voice.

“Why are you so generous?” Thran asked and Bard supposed it was a valid question and probably a little confusing.

“I don’t know. I think more people should be, don’t you?” Bard shrugged. “Besides, for some reason which I cannot fathom, my gut is telling me to trust you and to help you and to be your friend if you’ll let me.” Bard added, the last part a little more hesitantly, he didn’t say that this was the same gut that was doing somersaults every time he got Thran to laugh and smile.

“I do not have enough thank you’s to tell you how I feel.” Thran told him with that rich eloquent voice of his.  

“You just did.” Bard answered, he understood Thran’s gratitude, he glanced away from driving too look at the beautiful man in the passenger seat, he was smiling a soft, almost private smile, but he also almost looked lost, Bard didn’t ask why, he supposed Thran was lost at the moment.

“You are sure your children will not mind our intrusion?” Thran asked, looking back at his snoring son for a moment.

“I think it will be you who will be trying to escape them. My youngest, Tilda, is liable not to leave your hair alone; you have been warned, my eldest, Sigrid, is so inquisitive that she will appreciate the mystery, and my son Bain is likely to treat you as if you’ve always been there after about an hour.” Bard laughed, it might be silly, but he missed his kids even if he hadn’t been away for twenty four hours yet.

“How old are they?” Thran asked, looking torn between excited and nervous, although why Bard couldn’t say.

“Five, seven and nine.” Bard smiled, he tended to do that a lot when he was talking about his kids, they were the most important thing in the world as far as he was concerned.

“And your…wife?” Thran asked awkwardly, and Bard grimaced to himself.

“She died, five years ago.” Bard told him, keeping his voice as gentle as he could, not avoiding the waver that sang through it at the memory of her loss.

“My wife died too.” Thran whispered almost inaudibly, he didn’t tell Bard how, Bard didn’t ask. He understood how painful it could be to talk about, even years after.

“I’m sorry.”  Bard told him, and while it was never enough, it was support, understanding, and sometimes that was all you needed to carry forwards.

“Me too.” Thran replied, nodding his head slowly.

They drove the rest of the way silently, it was the most comfortable silence Bard had ever been a part of.

They drove into the little town and Bard weaved his way through the roads on the way to his small house while Thran watched curiously out of his window. Bard realised the drive had taken a very long time with all the problems on the road, but it hadn’t felt that way with Thran there, getting to know the other man had made the time disappear.

“Right, the kids are probably – hopefully – asleep, I’ll just pop in and tell Hilda she can finally go home and thank her for everything. You can just grab your bag and Legolas and follow me in.” Bard explained with a smile, hopping out the car and opening the front door to his house.  

The house was dark and quiet just as he expected it, apart from his life-saving friend sat in the living room tinkering around with some bits and pieces that looked like they might have belonged in a very old fishing rig.

That was, until Bard’s large dog came bounding up and knocked against him, nuzzling his face into Bard’s legs and giving him a good lick when Bard bent down to greet him properly, he was such a softie, even if he was absolutely massive.

“Hello Bear, I missed you too.” Bard grinned, rubbing at his shoulders and neck and making him wag.

“Bard.” Hilda looked up and smiled in greeting as she heard the door and the dog, keeping her voice low and letting Bard know that the children were at least supposed to be asleep – whether or not they actually were was another question entirely.

“Sorry Hilda, I didn’t mean to be so late back.” Bard grimaced, glad to see she had a cup of tea at least, petting Bear’s head as he stood.

“You have many talent’s Bard, controlling the traffic is not one of them, so don’t worry about it.” She grinned at him and Bard thanked her. “Although I will be loving you and leaving you because I would like to get home.”

“Yes, go, be gone.” Bard smiled, mock shooing her out of the house as she laughed, grabbing her coat at the door and slapping Bard’s shooing hands as she made her way out. “Thanks again, really.” Bard added as she left, he would bake her a cake after school tomorrow with the kids to say a baked good thank you as well.

“Night Bard.” She smiled, heading off down the road to her own house, not a five minute walk away.

“Night Hilda.” He returned as she strode off down the road, purposeful as ever.

It was only after Hilda was safely out of sight that Thran emerged from the car and it did not go unnoticed by Bard, what on earth did he think Hilda was going to do to him? But Bard didn’t mention it, because he wanted Thran to feel safe here.

“Let me take that.” Bard said, taking Thran’s bag from him so he could pick up his son more easily.

“I can manage.” Thran told him, even though Bard already had the bag off of him.

“I don’t doubt it, but you don’t always have to manage alone.” Bard told him kindly, and Thran smiled before a look of alarm crossed across his face.

“Bard why is there a bear in your house.”

“And right there is exactly how he got his name.” Bard laughed and Thran just looked alarmed, even as Bard rubbed behind Bear’s ears as the dog had apparently followed him outside to make sure Bard didn’t disappear again. “This is our dog Bear, he’s very big and a complete softie. A teddy bear if anything.” Bard smiled as Bear went up to sniff around the new people, knocking his nose against Thran’s hand until he relented and carefully petted Bear’s head, who wagged happily at his new friend.  

Leading the way and heading back indoors Bard got greeted by three pyjama-clad sleepy children who clearly hadn’t been asleep.

“Da! We missed you!” Tilda shouted happily, throwing her little arms around Bard and he returned the hug easily.

“I missed you lot too.” Bard smiled, ruffling Tilda’s hair and the other two’s as well when they joined the hug. “But shouldn’t you troublesome lot be in bed?” Bard asked suspiciously, only for the question to be ignored when Tilda piped up again.

“Da, who’s that?” She asked, poking her head around Bard to get a good look.

“This is my friend Thran and his son Legolas – who unlike you naughty lot is actually asleep – they’re going to stay for a little while.” Bard told them, Tilda perking up curiously even though she was clearly tired before bounding forward.

“Nice to meet you!” She beamed, holding out a little hand for Thran to shake, Thran who looked like he was melting right here.

“Nice to meet you too, miss Tilda.” Thran answered, remembering what Bard had said in the car about his children’s names.

He then shifted Legolas a little on his hip so he could take her hand and shake it properly, making Tilda beam all the brighter at being treated like a little adult.

“I like you.” She announced, startling a low and beautiful chuckle out of Thran. “You have pretty hair and are nice.” She yawned, starting to sway slightly on her feet, hopefully she at least had her naps today.

“You can all meet each other properly tomorrow.” Bard told them all, scooping Tilda up before she fell asleep right there. “But right now everyone should be in bed.” Bard informed them all, and they didn’t put up a fight probably because they were so tired, well, Bain looked tired, Sigrid was staring at Thran like she was very very confused, but he’d explain in the morning.

He corralled his kids upstairs and got them all into bed pretty easily, no doubt helped by the fact they were all in their pyjamas and had old gotten out of bed to say hello anyway. When they were all done he nipped into his room and quickly threw on some clean sheets before heading back downstairs to his unexpected guest.

“Sorry, I wasn’t sure where the guest bedroom was.” Thran apologised for staying put in the living room, even though there was nothing to apologise for, although Bard supposed sitting around in someone you’ve just met’s living room was a little awkward in general. Bear had already made himself at home by his feet.

“No spare room, you two can have mine, I put fresh sheets down for you, I’ll take the sofa.” Bard explained, already ready to just curl up and sleep on his comfy old sofa.

“Bard I couldn’t possibly kick you out of your room.” Thran objected. “We are quite happy down here. We have put you out enough already.”

“It’s no trouble. I don’t mind the sofa, and there are two of you and only one of me, so it makes sense that I have the sofa.”

“But– ”

“No buts, now go on, upstairs, you’re clearly tired.” Bard said with a smile, cutting him off and corralling him upstairs like he had done with his children.

Bard’s room really was only small, the girls had to share so theirs was the biggest one, and Bain’s and his own were just both rather small rooms. But there was a bed which was what really mattered, a nice big one that took up most of the room because Bard had refused to go back to a single bed even though it was a small room, that would just have been too tragic.

“Bathroom is the first door on this side, the kids have to go to school and I to work fairly early in the morning, but you’re welcome to stay here for the day. Will I see you at breakfast? Happens in a rush at about eight.” Bard explained after Thran had Legolas tucked into bed in a big tee-shirt Thran had grabbed for him to use as pyjamas during his hasty exit.

“Breakfast would be lovely.” Thran smiled, warm and true and disbelieving, Bard wanted to kiss him.

“I see you in the morning then, sleep well.” Bard smiled, forcing himself to move away from the beautiful blonde, only for Thran to catch his hand as he went to leave, and apparently Bard had turned into a bad romance novel because he could swear he felt electricity at the contact, and his stomach was doing acrobatics again.

“Thank you. Truly. I know I have said it already but honestly thank you, I do not know what we would have done without you.” Thran said, voice heartbreakingly sincere, it only made Bard even gladder that he had been the one to find Thran and Legolas.  

“Then I am glad I found you.” Bard answered as he felt and Thran’s face fell into that soft smile again.

“As am I.” Thran replied, and there was a pause, something not tense, but something in the air between them. “I promise I will repay you for your kindness.” He added, almost fiercely, and with such finality that Bard couldn’t help but believe him.

“No need.” He replied with a smile, Thran’s thanks and relief more than enough of a reason for him to do it. “But I believe you.” He added when Thran went to say it again.

Thran looked satisfied enough and nodded his head. They lingered there for a second, looking at one another, Bard wasn’t sure why Thran lingered, but they both did, until Thran finally let go of his wrist and bid him a goodnight.

Bard went downstairs with a few blankets and set down on the sofa, Bear joining him and crushing his feet in no time just as he had expected (and hoped for).

Bard pondered for a while on Thran, so many unanswered questions, and yet somehow they seemed unimportant right now, Bard couldn’t explain it.

It was unsurprising that when he finally fell asleep he dreamt of a mysterious man with twinkling blue eyes and a beautiful laugh.  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay can I just take a sec to say how utterly and completely blown away I was with the response to the first chapter of this fic? It was amazing and inspiring and I can only hope to live up to your hopes for this fic and I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who kudos'ed and especially to those of you who commented, it was absolutely fantastic and made my entire year ^^
> 
> So I hope you liked chapter two as well! Still in the growing stages of this, but the story will pick up soon don't worry :)
> 
> Thank you all again, kudos are amazing and comments are the perfect fuel to drive my writing on, not to mention the fact that they feel incredible to get <3
> 
> THANK YOU!


	3. Chapter 3

 

Bard woke up to the feeling of a dog panting in his face and then opened his eyes to find Bear standing over him doing just that, wagging his tail faster when he noticed Bard had woken and starting to lick his face enthusiastically.

Bard grimaced and tried to think of a way to escape the clutches of his huge dog without hurting said dog’s feelings.

“You want some breakfast Bear?” Bard said, the dog immediately recognising one of the words that meant food and leaping from the sofa, Bard letting out an ‘oof’ as Bear managed to step on his stomach as he got to the floor.

He wandered into the kitchen and grabbed Bear his breakfast, leaving him too his munching and heading upstairs to wash his face and brush his teeth. He mused as he brushed his teeth that he had made a planning error yesterday and had failed to grab himself any clothes from his room before moving in Thran and Legolas, leaving him roaming around in his pyjamas until they emerged.

He really didn’t want to have to barge in while they were still sleeping, but he could only imagine the reactions of his customers if he turned up to fix cars still clad in his soft pyjama bottoms and an old and worn band t-shirt.

Bard moved along the hall knocking on the girls’ door and poking his head in to wake them up before doing the same for Bain a bit further down the hall. He usually gave it ten minutes before going back to check on them and making sure they were actually moving. As he did every morning he headed back downstairs and got started on three lunches, making sure to cut off Tilda’s crusts and not let Sigrid’s jam overspill and cut Bain’s cheese not too thin and not too thick.

As he put the sandwiches and whatever snacks he had grabbed to go with them into their individual lunchboxes, Bard wondered if he should make some lunch for their guests, but he didn’t know what they wanted and supposed he could just leave instructions on how to find the bread and where to locate the various fillings they could use. Then again, of he didn’t make them and leave them Thran would probably insist that ‘he couldn’t possibly’ and just go hungry, he’d find out what they wanted before they left and leave it out for them.

Yawning and dragging himself back upstairs Bard was happy to find Bain battling into his school uniform and Sigrid already locating her book bag. Tilda on the other hand was still snoring.  

“Come on munchkin.” Bard coaxed, sitting down beside her and shaking her shoulder gently.

“Go away.” She grumbled, sounding extremely tired, not doubt as a result of how late she was up the night before.

“Time to get up for school I’m afraid.” Bard told her apologetically, Tilda squirming away as he tried to get her up.

“D’nt wanna. ‘M ill.” She tried, smushing her face into her pillow as hard as she possibly could.

“Hmm, are you ill or just tired?” Bard asked, pressing a hand to her forehead just in case she was running a temperature (she was not).

“Tired.” She admitted and Bard was proud of her honesty.

“Would some toast and chocolate spread for breakfast make you less tired?” Bard asked, not above bribing his children out of bed and feeling at least a little bit bad for Tilda being so tired as he was only awake so late last night to see him when he came home.

“Maybe.” She relented, letting Bard scoop her out of bed, but making him carry her around on his hip as he found her uniform and helped her into it.

After that it was hair time and Bard had been practicing to try and get better at it but he still was not very good, managing a plait in Sigrid’s hair that she insisted was fine but that was clearly a bit messy, and two slightly uneven pigtails in Tilda’s. Really he needed to find some kind of course in doing your children’s hair, or a manual.

He found Bain again and quickly found him a pair of trousers that weren’t filthy, confiscating the ones he had put on and throwing them straight in the washing machine. They all started milling their way sleepily downstairs as Bard found himself a bit conflicted about whether to go into his room and wake their guests, telling them breakfast was about to start and so he could get his clothes, but the problem was answered for him and an adorably sleep-mussed Thran carrying an even sleepier Legolas emerged from the room.

“Good morning.” Bard smiled, Thran blinking at him sleepily and returning a smile. “I was just about to come wake you up, I forgot to grab any of my clothes last night.”

“Oh, I am very sorry.” Thran said, even though it really wasn’t his fault at all, Bard should’ve thought ahead last night, and it didn’t matter anyway, he would have just had to nip in and grab his clothes.

“Stop apologising.” Bard laughed, trying to put Thran at ease where he seemed a bit guarded again.

“We are an inconvenience.” Thran pointed out but the thing was, Bard really didn’t see them that way, at all, guests, friends, something else, whatever it was they weren’t an inconvenience.

“You are a guest. And guests get breakfast, had down I’ll be with you in a minute.” Bard smiled, Thran seeming to relax slightly ta the sight and heading slowly downstairs.   

Bard quickly found his clothes, old jeans and a white shirt was what they all ended up wearing down at the garage, they had overalls, but kept them down there, never fancying bring something quite so greasy home, they had clubbed together and got a washing machine and tumble dryer unit down there, and at the end of each day they all stuffed their grease covered overalls in there so they were clean for the next day.    

He threw his hair up into a sloppy bun, finding it easier to have it all out of his face at work, and made his way back downstairs, what he found made him smile. Tilda was chattering away to Legolas, both of them seeming to have woken up a little, Bain was gathering up things for breakfast, pointing to cupboard he couldn’t reach for Thran to get things down, Thran looking both out of his element and like he was enjoying every second of it. Sigrid was sat down and throwing confused glances between Thran and Legolas, like she had a million questions and didn’t know which one to ask first, Bard guessed that was pretty fair, as there were two new people in their house this morning.

“Morning everyone.” Bard ginned, happy they all seemed to be getting along. “These are my friends Thran and Legolas, they needed a place to stay so I told them they could stay here for a little while.” Bard explained to his children, Tilda and Bain nodding while Sigrid continued with her confused glances.

“But– ” She started, eyes studying thran who seemed to be holding his breath for some reason, before she finally shook her head. “Nevermind.” She then said, mumbling something under her breath about how she must be wrong, Bard would ask her about it later if it was still bothering her.

“Right, who wants what?” Bard asked, clapping his hands together and throwing the first of the bread into the toaster.  

Tilda wanted chocolate spread which they weren’t usually allowed away from the weekends, so he had to let Bain and Sigrid have it too.

“What’s chocolate spread?” Legolas asked, little face looking utterly intrigued by the sound of this delicious treat.

“Want to find out?” Bard grinned, brandishing the jar, Legolas nodding his head furiously making Bard and Thran both laugh as he started spreading it onto the first pieces of toast that were ready, he used to let the kids do it themselves, before he realised just how much they were putting on their toast.

“Yesterday I find you’ve never had a greasy burger, today you don’t know what chocolate spread is. What have you been eating all these years?” Bard teased, Thran who gave him a half-hearted glare with no real heat behind it, making Bard chuckle.

“I knew what chocolate spread was. Now I fear I’m never going to be able to get him to eat anything but.” Thran added with a little laugh as Legolas looked up at them both with wide eyes as he took his first bite before going back to devour the rest.

“What would you like?” Bard asked as he finished dishing up toast for the kids, pouring out glasses of orange juice for them all.

“What do you have?” Thran asked.

“Well, if you want toast there is obviously chocolate spread, marmite, strawberry jam, marmalade, uh, butter. I could do you some cheese on toast? Or if you want cereal there are coco pops, Weetabix, muesli or shreddies.” Bard reeled off, probably having missed something, as he sliced the cheese to put on his toast on the grill.

“Cheese on toast would be lovely, if it isn’t too much trouble.” Thran answered and Bard cut some more cheese.

“You’re no trouble.” Bard winked, and he would’ve regretted it were it not for the melodic laugh it startled from Thran before he sobered a little.

“If only. I fear us being here is going to cause some problems. We should probably leave.” Thran sighed, looking like there was nothing in the world he wanted to do less than leave.

Bard really could not work out if Thran was just a drama queen or if there really was a good reason he shouldn’t be there, it felt like it was probably a bit of both. Bard shrugged as he handed over the plate with Thran’s finished cheese on toast.

“Well you are welcome to stay as long or as little as you like. If you’re still here on the weekend I’ll treat you all to waffles.” Bard grinned, taking a bite from his cheese on toast. 

“Say things like that and we might never leave.” Thran teased with a smile and a laugh.

“Okay.” Bard responded, which threw Thran just off balance enough to get the lightest blush on those pale cheeks.

They finished their breakfast, Bard smiling as everyone talked easily and munched through their breakfast, waking up more and more as they had something to eat, and before he knew it the clock was telling him they should have left five minutes ago.

“Wow, okay we’re late. Grab your bags kids, quick as you can.” Bard told them, gathering up the breakfast stuff and putting it all on the side for him to deal with later as the kids hopped down from the table to grab their stuff, Bard finding his own work bag as well before turning back to Thran. “You can have pretty much whatever you can find for lunch to be honest. You’re welcome to hang out here all day or go for a walk, the spare key should be hanging by the door. Um, there’s the tv and plenty of book and some board games kicking around in the living room too.”

“Thank you. You are too kind.” Thran told him sincerely, looking a little overwhelmed.

“No problem. Sorry for having to run out on you like this though.” Bard added, grabbing himself a banana to take to work as well and petting Bear to say goodbye for the day.

“We will try to do something useful.” Thran told him, Bard doubted he was going to leave the house given how jumpy he was being about other people.

“Nah, just relax. Enjoy your escape for a while.” Bard smiled, corralling his children out of the door.

“Bard?” Thran started, looking a little hesitant, he got the feeling that the usual Thran wasn’t used to being hesitant.

“Yeah?” Bard answered, pausing at the door.

“Could you, not tell anyone about us. Being here or our names or…anything.”

“Um, sure.” Bard answered, he’d tell the kids not to as well, but he would be asking Thran why when he got home, he didn’t see how his family was going to be able to find him in the ass-end of nowhere no matter how many people in this town knew their names, it wasn’t like they knew their last names anyway. “Anyway, gotta run.” Bard grinned, giving Thran and Legolas a smile and having to practically pick Tilda up to get her to leave. 

“How long is the nice man and Legolas staying?” Tilda asked as Bard strapped her into the car.

“As long as they want or need to.” Bard smiled, and Tilda looked satisfied with this answer, probably planning to ask Thran exactly how long that was later.

Sigrid looked pensive the whole way to school, Bain was taking a nap, and Tilda was insisting on Bard playing I-Spy with her on the way. Luckily it was only a short drive to the school so they weren’t late _late_ , just a tiny bit late, then it was back in the car and the ten minute drive back across town to the garage. They were talking about some missing royal on the radio, but Bard hated the radio and was sure whichever pompous arse it was would show up, and he really couldn’t care less about gossip, so he flicked on a cd instead.

He should probably be more concerned about the relative stranger he had left unattended in his house, but he really wasn’t and he couldn’t explain why either. Which was weird, because he never trusted people this easily or this quickly, he never considered people friends so fast, and yet with Thran, it just felt different, felt right.

The day passed as it usually did, in a flurry of cars in various states of broken, Bard fixing them one by one, getting through a lot of fast problems and halfway through one much bigger problem with an old van that he was going to have to finish off tomorrow.

All the chatty customers that came in seemed to be intent on talking about this missing prince, but Bard just tuned them out and focussed on the work, they were mainly talking to Percy anyway, Bard spent most of his time buried in the cars which made it hard to have a conversation. It wasn’t like he would be any use in the conversation anyway, he wasn’t even sure what their countries princes were called, did they even have more than one?  Bard genuinely had no idea, nor much intention of knowing. At least he knew what the king was called, Oropher or something equally strange, they probably all had strange names.

He fixed cars, talked with Percy, and eventually headed out to the school to scoop up his kids at the end of the day and head home.

“We’re back.” Bard called as they all came in, Tilda skipping away probably to find her new friend.

They weren’t hard to find, curled up in the living room, Legolas tucked up under Thran’s arm as his father read him a book. Legolas’ little blonde head popped up and peeked around the sofa as he heard them come home, kissing his father on the cheek before jumping down and scurrying upstairs with Tilda who was talking excitedly about showing him something, Bear running over to give him a quick hello before following Legolas and Tilda upstairs like some kind of child-minder.

“Good day?” Bard asked as Thran rose gracefully from the armchair, dusting non-existent lint from his clothes, clothes which were a far cry from the hoodie and scruffy trousers Thran had had one the previous day in a beautifully tailored casual blazer and matching trousers.

Bard did take a moment to realise that Thran probably didn’t have another outfit in that small and quickly packed bag he had with him, oh well, Bard had plenty of baggy hoodies and sweats that should fit him, and he had never thrown away the clothes Bain grew out of in case Tilda wanted them, so Legolas should be okay as well.

“Yes thank you. Legolas is rather smitten with Bear, he might never leave.” Thran laughed, and Bard could only imagine, Bear was so good with little kids, so careful around them, so loving.

“Wouldn’t be such a tragedy.” Bard winked, getting that pretty little blush on Thran’s cheeks, Bard got the feeling Thran wasn’t exactly used to people talking to him in such a flirtatious way, which was odd because he really was very beautiful.

“No. I don’t think it would.” He answered quietly. “We made some sandwiches for lunch, I hope that is okay?” He then added.

“Of course.” Bard smiled. “And I hope you like lasagne because that is for dinner.”

“Sounds delicious.” Thran smiled back, following Bard into the kitchen where Bard found a neatly arranged drainer where Thran had apparently done the washing up by hand.

“You did all the washing up?” Bard asked, not finding any of the plates from breakfast lying around.

“Yes. I wanted to feel useful.” Thran told him. “I hope I did it okay?” And really it almost sounded like he had never done the washing up before.

“Yeah it’s great, thank you. But you know you could have just put it all in the dishwasher.”  Bard pointed out, indicating to the appliance, it wasn’t even a fancy one that blended into the counters.

“Ah yes, I wasn’t sure how it worked.” Thran admitted, and Bard gave him a baffled look before laughing and giving Thran’s soft hand a squeeze in his own work-calloused one even as something about Thran nagged at the back of his mind, but Bard just pushed it away again without a thought.

“Don’t worry. I can teach you.” Bard said, Thran actually looking genuinely happy about this prospect. “I was thinking, if you like before I start on dinner we can all go out into the garden and I can set up the safe children’s archery set I have? Leave them all playing, I know my kids love it and you were saying Legolas loves archery?” Bard suggested, leaning on the countertop.

“I think that would make you his favourite person in the whole wide world, mine too.” Thran answered smiling.

“That’s some wonderful motivation.” Bard winked, heading out of the kitchen to go into the garden and set up, Thran following close behind in an impossibly elegant walk.

“I also remember you claiming you almost went pro.” Thran added, a gleam of mischief in his eyes that Bard loved.

“Indeed I did.” Bard grinned back, the only reason he hadn’t had been the baby he and his fiancé had discovered on the way, and there had been no way Bard could support archery and a baby, so he had said goodbye to the bows and disappointed a lot of people, but he had never disappointed her and he had never disappointed Sigrid, and that is what counted.

“Prove it.” Thran stated, a teasing challenge in his eyes and Bard felt like he might be finding the real Thran as he felt less out of his comfort zone and relaxed more around Bard. He loved it.

“Alright then.” Bard winked, grabbing his old competiton target and bow from the shed as well as the children’s one and starting to set it all up.

“Da are we gunna play archery!” Tilda shouted down to the garden from out her window, Legolas next to her with a look of awe on his face.

“Yeah darlin’, tell Bain and Sig in case they want to join in as well.” Bard instructed and Tilda shut her window nodding away at him.

He set up the ranges in their gloriously large garden (another of the very few perks of Laketown, the middle of nowhere usually meant space at least) and not a minute later the kids came crashing out of the house with Bear on their tails, Legolas looking like he was about ready to explode with excitement and wrapping his littler are around Bear as the dog sat beside him – they were practically the same height like that.

“Okay guys, make sure you all stand back while I use this one because it’s not safe like yours. But I have something to prove to Thran.” Bard explained, adding the last bit with a grin and getting in the right position.

He notched his arrow, it wasn’t a compound bow, although he did have one, it was a massive old school longbow, it had always been his favourite. Thran looked impressed juts by the size of the bow which was a good start, bard just prayed he didn’t fluff the shot, at least if he did he imagined he would hear more of that beautiful laughter.

Bard drew the bow and aimed carefully, shutting his eyes and releasing the arrow as he released a steady breath, knowing he had hit his mark when there were cheers of ‘da’ and a massively impressed noise from Legolas. Bard grinned and turned around, finding four elated children and one beautiful blonde man giving him a look that could almost be described as heated, or maybe that was wishful thinking.

“But can you do it twice in a row?” Thran asked, voice rich and full of _something_.

Bard grinned and turned back to the target, loosing another arrow quickly and easily and as close to the first one as it was possible to get before winking at Thran again. But Thran wasn’t perching on the low wall anymore, instead he was walking over to Bard with a smirk.

“Show me?” He asked, voice set with an innocence that Bard was fairly certain was all fake, none of that shy and hesitant Thran left at the moment, he found he liked this side to him just as much as the first.

“Sure.” Bard answered, trying not to let on that his throat had gone dry as Thran stepped just in front of him as Bard passed him the bow, so close they were almost touching. “Okay, notch the arrow.” Bard started, Thran following his instructions. “Um, now spread your legs a little more.” Bard continued, wincing inwardly at how they sounded, but Thran just complied easily without comment. “Now draw the bow back.”

“Like this?” Thran asked, and his elbow was too high and his hand wasn’t in the right place and the line of his body was slightly off.

“No, not quite. Do you mind if I…?” Bard checked, motioning that he wanted to guide Thran’s movements himself.  

“Please do.” Thran answered in a voice that was teetering on the edge of being a purr and made Bard swallow thickly before helping him.

He set his arms around Thran’s own, using the shape and stance of his own body to guide Thran into a better position until it was almost textbook perfect and Thran’s back was against his chest.

“Okay, and when you’re ready, you just, let go.” Bard instructed, feeling Thran’s deep breath before he loosed the arrow, ending up not too far away from the centre and turning around with a pleased smile. “Well done.” Bard grinned, resisting the urge to kiss the beautiful man in front of him.

“I had a great teacher.” Thran smiled, and for a second Bard thought he was going to kiss him, but that was utter madness of course, only Bard was insane enough to want to kiss someone he had only met the day before and had staying in his house so soon.

The kids were getting antsy so Bard safely put away his bow and got them all set up, Legolas practically vibrating out of his skin as Bard showed him how to use the kids’ bow that he was sharing with Tilda, Sigrid and Bain taking turns with the other. He saw Thran with a look on his face that seems caught somewhere between unbelievably soft and shit scared at the same time, apparently his moment of boldness on the range gone – if it had been there and not Bad going crazy in the first place – and fighting again with whatever it was that was making him so worried and hesitant.

Bard threw him a smile from where he was helping Legolas and the soft expression seemed to win out for a moment.

After a little while Bard left the children with instructions to be good and headed in to start on dinner, keeping an eye on them out the window. Thran followed him in and insisted on helping make dinner, even though he seemed to have never cooked a meal in his entire life and had no idea how to prep anything.

Bard just laughed and showed him how, he almost made a joke about what kind of charmed life Thran must have lead, but then he remembered why he was here – the little he knew of why – and decided that whatever it was, it clearly wasn’t all roses and smiles.

He desperately wanted to know who thran was, get an answer to the nagging in the back of his mind, but there was something fragile and new and exciting that Bard didn’t want to break, didn’t want to risk scaring away, scaring Thran away.

So instead he taught him how to slice vegetables.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the kudos, comments, support and interest this fic is getting, I cannot express how much it means to me <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies this took so much longer than usual, I had uni work I hadn't done all summer then I had to move back to uni and I have finallly found time ^^ back to weekly now though, promise! <3

 

The children all went to bed relatively easily that evening, but not before Tilda had given Thran a thorough questioning on how he got his hair so pretty, and only agreeing to finally go to sleep when Thran in turn agreed to do her hair in the morning.

Thran took Legolas into Bard’s bedroom and was presumably tucking him in as Bard did the same with his own kids, Tilda having been allowed to stay up as late as the others because Bard hadn’t fancied forcing her into bed before the others when she wanted to stay up and interrogate their guest.

Of course Bard would love to gently interrogate Thran because he still had about ten million questions to ask the other man, but unfortunately Tilda’s interrogation had much more to do with things like what Thran’s favourite colour was and how he got his hair to be so shiny. Bard could ask him himself he supposed, but he didn’t want to make the other man feel uncomfortable and every time they were talking he seemed to get distracted somehow.

It wasn’t late yet so Bard wandered back into the living room and put some show on the tv that he probably wasn’t going to listen to in favour of reading his book, but still, he liked the background noise.

“What on earth are you not watching?” Thran’s rich voice asked him, filled with amusement, Bard looking up from his book to see the blonde leaning in the doorway and looking frankly devastatingly beautiful, hair all swept elegantly back from his forehead, managing to make his semi casual clothes look almost regal.

“I’m not even sure myself.” Bard smiled back, moving his feet up from where he was half laying on the sofa and making room for his guest, who gracefully sat down.

“You don’t like the quiet?” Thran asked, working out easily that Bard must just like the noise.

“I like having time to myself, but if I’m alone in a room dead silence feels almost smothering. I’m too used to three noisy children I guess.” Bard answered, folding over the page corner and putting his book down on the coffee table, returning all his attention to Thran.

“I’m the opposite. Silence is a great relief to me. My life is too noisy, people are always talking to me, needing my attention, pulling me in every direction. It’s nice to have quiet.” Thran explained, sending even more questions sparking through Bard’s mind, itching to ask him about it but determined not to until Thran wanted to share that information freely.

“I guess a house with three noisy children isn’t ideal then.” Bard laughed, but Thran’s expression turned firm. 

“No, it is perfect. The only noise I have never minded is Legolas, and I find your children are much the same. It’s a good noise, comforting.” Thran told him, and Bard understood, nodding his head in agreement, it was a good kind of noise.

“It stops me from feeling lonely.” Bard admitted, he wasn’t sure why he said it, but it was true and Thran’s face was soft.

“Are you lonely?” Thran asked, and the answer was yes, he supposed he was, but only in these quiet evenings, when the children were asleep and he didn’t have anyone to spend the remaining hours of the day with.

“Are you?” Bard asked back and he knew from the expression on his face that yes, Thran was lonely in much the same way he was.

“I spend my life surrounded and constantly hounded by people. And yet, yes, I am lonely.” Thran answered with a self-depreciating attempt at a laugh. “My wife died shortly after Legolas was born.” He added in a whisper and Bard was surprised he was sharing such a piece of information, Bard understood how hard it was.

“My Mattie died in childbirth.” Bard replied quietly, they shared a melancholy look and in that moment Bard felt closer to Thran than he had to anyone in a long while.

He hadn’t been able to talk about it in a very long time, he would guess that Thran hadn’t either. He wasn’t even sure why he was telling him, it wasn’t something he could put into words, there was just s _omething_ that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“Thank you.” Thran said very quietly after a little while.

“What for?”

“You know.” Thran told him and Bard nodded.

“Anytime.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Yeah. Anytime you need to run away for a bit, I’m not going anywhere and neither is my sofa.” Bard grinned, but the sincerity was well and alive in his voice.

“Do you really not know who I am?” Thran asked, chewing his lip in a way that seemed out of character for him, but Bard wasn’t sure how he knew that.

“Should I?” Bard answered, the question only confusing him further, if Thran was someone recognisable then he supposed is hiding made more sense.

“I’m glad you don’t.” Thran answered and it wasn’t exactly the answer to the question he had asked, but it was enough anyway, Thran didn’t want him to know, and he didn’t need to know.

He would get to know who Thran was without needing that information, in fact he had a feeling he would end up knowing him better for it.

“Then I won’t ask.” Bard promised him, and it was definitely relief he saw wash over Thran’s beautiful features.

Thran perused the book shelf and ended up with one of Bard’s guilty pleasure trashy romance novels stashed out of reach of any children, smirking at Bard as he picked it up but then losing the smirk as he became thoroughly engrossed within the trashiness. Neither of them commented on the fact that it was a gay trashy romance.

Bard turned off the tv in the background, not feeling he needed it so much now that he wasn’t alone in the room, the silent companionship was more than enough. Better than he had had in a very long time. He smiled to himself as Thran tucked his long legs down alongside Bard’s own as he read the book he had picked up, it felt like he belonged there, in a strange way, no not strange, unexpected. But perfect.

They stayed like that for a while, not speaking just sharing each other’s company, and Bard felt like it was too soon to feel that comfortable in someone’s quiet company, but he felt it all the same.

He also felt like a little kid with a crush.  

He was also aware that was probably at least a little unwelcome as Thran was just trying to run away for a bit and probably didn’t want his new (and Bard was beginning to fear only) friend wanting to get in his pants. Not that Bard was going to do anything about it, he just wanted Thran to feel comfortable. Then again, if Thran felt the same he didn’t want to miss the chance…

No, that was a dangerous train of thought best killed now.

He should also probably turn back to his book before Thran realised he had been watching his prefect face for longer than was really appropriate. It was captivating though, so elegant, fine yet hard, as hard as ice one moment yet soft as water the next, piercing blue eyes and ivory skin and all that cascading sliver blonde hair, and it was all contrasted by dark brows and a sharp jawline. And that was without even mentioning the rest of him, tall, taller than Bard even, long legs that just went on and on, slim but strong.

Bard hadn’t really believed people who looked like Thran really existed in real life, but there he was, on the other end of Bard’s sofa, engrossed in a trashy gay romance novel.

It was very bizarre.

“I’m going to have to kick you out of here I’m afraid.” Bard grimaced when the clock inched its way past eleven. “I need to get some sleep before work in the morning.”

“Oh goodness. Yes I’m sorry of course.” Thran answered, blushing slightly as he dragged his attention away from the book, Bard could only imagine what part he might be on to warrant that very subtle dusting of pink across his cheeks.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” Bard smiled as Thran gathered himself up from the sofa, surreptitiously tucking the book under his arm and making Bard let out a little chuckle as he saw him do it.

“Yes, goodnight Bard.”

Bard watched him go.

Friday went much the same as the day before, only this time Bear had decided he was a lapdog again and not absolutely huge and was crushing Thran under his weight on the sofa when Bard got home. Thran and Legolas stayed at the house while the rest of them headed out to work and school, and when they all got back Thran was looking sheepish after having caused a flood while trying to use the dishwasher (Bard didn’t stop laughing for a full ten minutes). The kids played in the garden again while Thran really did try to help with dinner but really just kept Bard company while he did it. 

They spent the evening together again, talking and reading on the sofa and Bar’s crush was doing a good job at growing swiftly while thran buried his toes under Bard’s let murmuring something about them being cold and blushing periodically as he presumably read the smuttier parts of the book. Bard couldn’t help but grin to himself, he did love that book.

Bard reserved the right for a lie in on the weekends, but when you have three kids and a full time job, half eight is a pretty good lie in, so Bard was pretty chuffed when he got to sleep until nine before a small child was jumping on him and Bear was licking his face excitedly and he could hear the rest of the children making their way downstairs.

“Wake up da!” Tilda yelped excitedly and Bard groaned and little knees pummelled his stomach and hot dog breath smothered his face.

“Off and I will.” Bard groaned, tipping her gently onto the floor and sending her giggling before escaping Bear’s affection.

“I was going to offer to make breakfast, but you promised waffles.” Thran smiled from where he was standing, sleepy Legolas on his hip.

“Also I would prefer it if my kitchen wasn’t burnt down. A lie in isn’t quite worth that.” Bard teased, making Thran pout and the kids laugh.

He made good on his promise and produced waffles for them all, offering various syrups and a cheeky scoop of ice cream for the children that made Thran give him his best puppy eyes until he also got a scoop. Bard chopped up a banana, Thran and Legolas opting for strawberries, Sigrid raspberries and Bain deciding fruit was unnecessary.

“What would you like to do today?” Bard asked, aiming the question at Thran and Legolas just as much as the children, knowing whatever it was Thran would want it to be away from people as much as possible, but also thinking it would be nice to get them out of the house.

“Swimming?” Tilda said with a big smile and as much as he would love to see him without a shirt on, he knew there would be too many people for Thran to feel comfortable.

“Maybe next week darlin’.” Bard told her, and he really would take them swimming as soon as he could, Thran sent him a thankful smile.

“We could go on a bike ride?” Sigrid suggested and that was actually a pretty good idea.

“Excellent plan.” Bard grinned, turning to Thran who looked dubious about the plan. “I can ride my old bike and I don’t think I ever got rid of the bike Bain got too big for a while ago.” Bard mused, when you had three kids and generous parents and friend you tended to accumulate things like bikes.

They were a bit worn and beaten up and the paint was chipped but they were still perfectly safe and they still worked. The kids ran off to go grab some clothes they could go riding in, Bain taking Legolas with him to find some clothes of his that the little blonde might fit into.

“Don’t worry, the trails are usually pretty empty, you’ll have a fetching bike hat on, and you’ll be going past too quick for anyone to notice.” Bard assured, still not precisely sure who Thran was and why people would be recognising him.

Maybe he was a celebrity, Bard could only name about three so it wouldn’t exactly be strange that Bard had no idea who he was. He guessed that made sense, he wondered what he was famous for. Probably a model with that face. It explained that niggling feeling in the back of his mind anyway.

 Bard resisted the urge to google with all his might.

(Because contrary to what Sigrid said he did actually know how to use google).

“I trust you.” Thran smiled and Bard could feel himself smiling back.

Thran ended up back in the trousers Bard had found him in (Bard had thrown them and the hoodie in the washing machine for him the other day) but he was still insisting on wearing his nice blazer and smart shirt (smart for bike riding anyway), Bard was pretty much certain it was going to end up stained, but Thran was insisting. If he still wanted to stay he was going to have to start wearing some of Bard’s old clothes tomorrow, Legolas was already wearing some of Bain’s old clothes.

“There. Beautiful.” Bard grinned as he set a crash hat on top of Thran’s pretty head, Thran scowling at him. “Safety first.” Bard added in his best da voice that got Thran to let out a little murmur of that musical laughter. “Got to set a good example for the kiddies.”

“Of course.” Thran replied in mock seriousness, putting his long whipping hair in a low loose half bun to keep it out of the way while they were riding.

Bard packed up a picnic and sent Tilda back to change when she appeared in one of her nice dresses. She remerged in some scruffier clothes and Thran braided her and Sigrid’s hair, redoing the little plaits in Legolas’ hair, pulling it back from his face effectively. Bard even spotted Bain sheepishly asking for Thran to do his hair so it wouldn’t bug him while he rode his bike. 

“And what about you Bowman?” Thran asked, smiling at the use of his last name, Thran had found it quite amusing given the archery.

“What about me?” Bard asked as he made the sandwiches.

“As much as I love your trademark messy bun, I would like to put a couple of braids in it.” Thran told him with a smile and Bard nodded back, trying to ignore the way his stomach was doing acrobatics as Thran’s deft and elegant fingers were combing through his hair.

Bard also tried to not let his eyes roll back in his skull as Thran worked his hair into two little side braids that he gathered up in Bard’s usual bun once he was done. It didn’t make a huge difference but Bard loved it all the same.

“Thank you. I love it. You’re going to have to stay forever just so you can do everyone’s hair.” Bard teased.

“Don’t tempt me.” Thran smiled back and god Bard really really wanted to tempt him.

Luckily there was a nice riding trail close by so they didn’t have to go through the hassle of trying to load up the car with far too many bikes.

“Right, no one goes out of sight, okay?” Bard said firmly as they all got ready to head out on the little rail, the kids all nodded happily. “That includes you Thran.” Bard added with a grin, Thran rolled his eyes.

It was a beautiful trail, even when you had only been riding for ten minutes you felt like you were deep within a great forest and far away from civilisation, Bard guessed that was another small perk of living in a town in the middle of nowhere, it didn’t take very much to be able to get away. Legolas was a little shaky to start with, the bike being just slightly too big for him, but he got the hang of it and was peddling along quickly in no time at all. Thran of course rode his bike with an easy elegance that shouldn’t have been possible, a free and relaxed look on his face that Bard was starting to think he was one of very few people that had ever seen that expression on him.

His own kids were good at riding their bikes too, even Tilda could go without stabilisers, public transport was so bad in Laketown that he figured it was best to make sure his kids were confident on their bikes so they could ride to school and things when they got a bit older. It would only be another year until Sigrid was going to ‘big school’ as she called it, that left Bard feeling equal parts terrified and old.

Bard wondered if Thran was going to get into trouble for not having Legolas in school, but he figured it was just as likely that he was home-schooled. Their whole lives were shrouded in mystery, Bard didn’t know much about Thran, his life, what he did, where he lived, why he had ran beyond the very vague, and yet, he felt like he knew Thran better than anyone else in the world.

Bear was bounding along beside them happily, never getting too close to the bikes nor too far away for Bard’s comfort, accept for school Bear went everywhere with them, he was part of the family. He also seemed inordinately fond of Thran and Legolas, usually it took him a little while to warm up to new people in his house but with Thran and Legolas Bear had taken to them immediately. And if Bear liked them then that was good enough for Bard, especially as their instincts seemed to be lining up.

They found a meadow that spilled down onto the huge lake the town got its name from and decided to have their lunch, Bard unpacking the only slightly beaten up picnic that was in his backpack and dishing it out.

The kids ran around in the meadow and sulked about not being allowed to go in the lake as they didn’t have any way to get dry and Thran sat with Bard in the grass until they were inevitably dragged into playing with the children, not that either of them really minded. They ended up staying there for a while into the afternoon, Bard could hardly believe his eyes when Thran went to wander along the tree line and the deer actually came up to him, usually they ran at the sight of people. But now they were coming up to Thran, even letting him pet their faces, he looked in his element, Bard couldn’t tear his eyes away, and Thran blushed when he caught him looking.

Eventually they got moving again, wanting to cycle a bit further before they turned back and they needed to get back before the kids started to want dinner. Legolas scuffed up his knee but Bard had three children and so was in the habit of carrying plasters, and other than that everyone was unharmed and not too muddy by the time they got back so Bard would call it a win.

Bard made dinner and everyone tried to help, and Sigrid was actually fairly useful but the rest of the kids and Thran didn’t even know how to peel a potato so he left them on washing up duty after dinner instead, when he gave Thran a lesson in the dishwasher.

The kids went to bed and Bard tucked down on the sofa and tried not to let his smile get out of control when Thran joined him again and wriggled his feet under him on the sofa again before disappearing back into Bard’s trashy romance novel once more.

It probably wasn’t normal to be so domesticated like this so quickly, but then none of this was normal and Bard had decided not to worry about it because all Thran needed to do was smile at him and he wondered how it couldn’t be just right, just as it should be. They said goodnight when it started to get late, both knowing they would be woken fairly early by the children and Bard resisted the urge to kiss him when he felt electricity between them as Thran squeezed his hand.

God when had he got cornier than his trashy romance novels?     

On Sunday they had a quieter day, slobbing around in pyjamas and watching movies in a pile of blankets and pillows and too much food and he was pretty sure neither Legolas nor Thran had ever done this before. Thran had borrowed some of Bard’s soft old lazy trousers and one of his old shirts that had always been a bit big for Bard so fit Thran just fine; Bard tried not to enjoy the sight of Thran in his clothes more than was appropriate.

He hadn’t had a crush in ages, he hoped he wasn’t too obvious about it but that was probably in vain.

“Bard.” Thran started when the kids were in bed and they were in their usual spot on the sofa, Bard looking up from his book and Thran wearing an expression Bard couldn’t read. “How long are we allowed to stay?”

“As long as you want or need.” Bard told him honestly.

“You can’t mean that.” Thran responded, and the look he had on was conflicted.

“Of course I do.”

“Why would you be so generous?”

“I like you, and you look like you need a friend.” Bard replied, and it was true and they both knew it. “And to be honest, I could use a friend too.”

“Oh.” Thran responded, looking like he was agonising over something.

“How long are you planning to stay?”

“As long as we can before we really must go back.”

“Okay then, I hope that isn’t for a little while.” Bard smiled, giving Thran’s ankle a gentle squeeze.

“Really?”

“Really.”

Thran looked at him for a little while, eyes giving away some internal battle he seemed to be having with himself and Bard was about to ask him what was wrong but then Thran was moving and crawling up the sofa and then there were a pair of impossibly soft pair of lips kissing his own and every coherent thought left his brain.

Thran made a surprised little noise as Bard kissed him back, returning the pressure on his lips, moving and deepening it just slightly as he traced Thran’s red lower lip with his tongue. They kissed for a little while, careful and slow and chaste and cautious and perfect.

“I am so glad I met you.” Thran murmured as he pulled back just slightly and Bard couldn’t help but brush his thumb over that smooth cheek.

“Aye. Yeah. Me too.” Bard swallowed thickly, running a hand through Thran’s hair and discovering that it was as silky as it looked.

“Goodnight.” Thran smiled, climbing off the sofa and sending Bard a smile caught impossibly between shy and mischievous.

“Goodnight.” Bard smiled right back as Thran walked away, tracing a finger over his lips before catching himself doing it and scolding himself for being worse than his trashy romance novels _again_.

At least he didn’t seem like the only one with a crush after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you're still enjoying it and yes, Bard is going to find it all out soon enough ;) 
> 
> Comments and Kudos bring me great joy <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this chapter had a theme song it would definitely be I Really Like You by Carly Rae Jepsen

 

As he woke up the next morning Bard half thought he’d dreamed up the kiss, some weird (and wonderful) dream conjured up by what Bard wanted to happen and the thorough face-licking he was currently getting from Bear to wake him up.

And also because Bard could hardly believe that someone who looked like Thran could ever be interested in someone like _him_. He was so painfully normal, and Thran was so, so, _Thran_.

But it had happened, he knew it had happened, and the thought successfully put a little bounce in his step as he hauled himself off the sofa and started getting ready for the day. He sincerely hoped that Thran didn’t regret it because that would make things painfully awkward between them.

Oh god if Thran did regret it he was probably just going to leave and Bard would never be able to find him again because he didn’t have a single clue who he was. And he had promised not to google. He really hoped he didn’t come home from work and find the place deserted once more.

He was worrying about this prospect while making up various pieces of toast when Thran appeared downstairs sans Legolas who must still be asleep and beating Bard’s kids as well. Bard was fairly certain he looked like a deer in headlights when their eyes caught, waiting without breathing to see if Thran wanted to run a mile, but the blonde only offered him a private smile and that was that.

Bard knew he was grinning to himself like a lunatic as Thran came to stand alongside him and started buttering bread for sandwiches…well, he was trying anyway, how someone could be so completely helpless in the kitchen was beyond Bard.

“I’m doing it wrong aren’t I.” Thran sighed, it wasn’t a question, Bard couldn’t help his laugh.

“Well, you are, sort of, massacring the bread a bit.” Bard admitted, he wasn’t even sure how Thran was managing to fail at buttering bread. “Here, I’ll show you.” Bard offered, taking the knife and spreading the butter in deft strokes without mangling the bread.

“You must think I’m completely ridiculous.” Thran mumbled, and it actually sounded more than a little self-conscious, the tone didn’t suit him.

“A little. But I like it.” Bard smiled, successfully putting the other man at ease and trying to ignore the cliché flutter in his stomach as a pair of soft lips kiss his cheek gently.

“Your little beard tickles.” Thran commented idly as he went back to buttering the bread, a fast learner it would seem because he appeared to be getting it.

“Is that good or bad?” Bard laughed nervously, really hoping it was good so he didn’t do something embarrassing and desperate like shave it off.

Also he really didn’t want to shave it off.

“Very good.” Thran answered, his voice was practically dripping with suggestion and his expression was practically a leer.

 Had it not been for the children that suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs then Bard would not have been held responsible for what he did next.

But the children did appear and Thran was blushing at the bread which was nine kinds of adorable and Bard was back to smiling like a fool.

 He really wished he didn’t have to go into work, but he couldn’t really afford to take days off just because the guy he had a crush on was being cute and had kissed him and liked his facial hair.

That should totally be a good enough reason though.

Bard was watching the news as he ate his breakfast, only really interested in the weather and Thran turned it off the second they started talking about that missing prince which was a little odd but maybe he was just bored about hearing about it all the time.

“Really how does a prince go missing?” Bard asked no one in particular halfway through chewing his toast.

Thran send him a bemused and fond look and Sigrid looked like she thought he was a complete moron which seemed a bit unfair because he at least thought it was a legit question. Or maybe she was looking at him like that because he hadn’t finished his mouthful of toast before speaking and couldn’t stand his hypocrisy, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time she’d scolded him for something like that. Bard loved it, it reminded him of her mother.

They made sandwiches and had breakfast and hair was braided and bags were packed and they were actually ready to leave a couple of minutes early which was completely unheard of. But leaving early unfortunately did not mean they got to come home early so they sat around in the kitchen and Tilda pouted at Legolas because he didn’t have to go to school, Sigrid double checked she had all her things, and Bain stole an extra piece of toast while Bard chatted easily with Thran.

He could not believe how easy it was between them, he kind of wanted to date him.

(He _really_ wanted to date him)

Bard thought about that most of the day at work, whether or not Thran would be adverse to the idea. Maybe he could cook them a late dinner after the kids were in bed and take him on a pseudo-date at home, he didn’t think Thran would mind, he could even pick up some wine after work, all he tended to keep at home was beer that he never had opportunity to drink.

“You alright Bard? You look a bit distracted.” Percy pulled him out of his thoughts, which was a nice way of him saying that Bard had been staring at the same engine cylinder for rather a long time now. 

“Yeah. Sorry just thinking.” Bard shook his head, moving his eyes to find the problem.

“About anything fun?” Percy asked, sitting in the front seat of the same car and fixing the radio.

“Thinking about asking a guy out.” Bard muttered, testing the oil in the engine.

“Oh yeah? Fancy telling me about him?” Percy asked, at least what was wrong with the radio was obvious unlike the engine, which looked absolutely fine to Bard.

“In theh not too distant future sure.” Bard grinned to his friend around the propped hood.

“When the sting of rejection has faded or you two are not so new?” Percy answered his grin with one of his own.

“Exactly. Preferably the latter.” Bard agreed, he stil lcouldnt find what the hell was supposed to be wrong with the engine.

He later found out that Alfrid had not done the paperwork properly and it was a BMW with a faulty engine not the one he was currently looking at.

He and the kids stopped at the supermarket on the way home from school, Bard resolved to impress Thran with his marvellous chili skills and picked up the ingredients and a bottle of wine. The kids wanted pizza and they pouted at Bard when he bought peas to go with it instead of just letting them have pizza and ketchup. 

Thran raised an impressive eyebrow as Bard only served up four child size plates around the table.

“No dinner for me today?”  Thran mock-pouted at Bard.

“I was going to try and impress you with my chili and some wine a bit later.” Bard admitted, trying not to sound like a nervous teenager and mostly succeeding, Thran looked like no one had ever been so genuine towards him before in his life.

“Oh.” He answered softly, small private smile on his lips. “I would like that very much.”

Bard started making the dinner before the kids went to bed, Tilda complaining because chili was ‘stinky’ apparently, Bard rolled his eyes and assured Thran that it did not taste ‘stinky’, Thran just looked endlessly amused. He banished Thran from the kitchen as he cooked, partially so he didn’t see his secret recipe and partially so someone was keeping an eye on the four children in the living room.

Bard kept it warm in the oven as he put Bain and Sigrid to bed, Tilda and Legolas already asleep and Sigrid permitted one hour of reading time before lights out. They had ended up eating quite late but Thran didn’t seem to mind, always trying to sneak peeks in the kitchen.

Bard lay the dining room table with the nice cloth he kept for special occasions and tried not to freak out when he realised that from what he was guessing about Thran he was probably used to fine wine and not anything Bard had managed to pick up from Tesco’s.  But it didn’t matter in the end because whatever he was used to Thran smiled when Bard produced the bottle of wine and poured him a glass.

“Is this a casual dinner between friends or are you trying to woo me?” Thran asked, biting his lip enticingly as Bard set his plate in front of him, rather proud of how well the chili had come out.

“I’ve lit candles.” Bard deadpanned back, which had Thran laughing and Bard was pretty sure he could get drunk on that sound.

“They are lovely candles.” Thran smiled back, and honestly from his delighted tone Bard was starting to think no one had ever done anything like this, (hopefully) romantic and simple, for him before. Which was ridiculous because from where Bard was sitting Thran deserved to be treated like this every single night and by someone who knew how lucky they were to get the chance.

“Oh my word Bard this is divine.” Thran practically moaned around his first bite and Bard was definitely blushing a little at the sound as well as preening at the praise.

“I have a feeling you’re used to better wine though.” 

“Theoretically I am, but somehow this is still the best wine I have ever tasted in all my life.” Thran told him sincerely, Bard got the feeling it had to do with the context, he couldn’t keep the smile from making his cheeks ache as he ate.

Thran continued to sing Bard’s praises throughout the meal, proclaiming that he was completely in love with him when Bard brought out strawberries and cream for dessert. Bard knew it was a joke right now, but he had a feeling that one day it might be true. He was certainly hoping it might end up being true one day.

They migrated to the sofa for the strawberries and cream, Thran finding some ridiculous romcom he apparently had always wanted to see and putting it on the background even though neither of them were watching it. It was hard to watch anything but Thran when he was hand feeding himself strawberries and kept licking the cream off his fingers.

Jesus Christ that should be illegal or something.

Bard was pretty sure the fucker was doing it on purpose as well.

There was no way he needed to lick the cream of his fingers quite so obviously.

“Are you alright Bard, you look a little hot?” Thran asked and Bard wasn’t bloody surprised he looked flushed given the little show Thran was putting on. “Take off your jumper.” He suggested casually, made less casual with the wink that accompanied it.

Bard wanted to but was a little preoccupied with staring at Thran’s red mouth. But then Thran was blushing scarlet and Bard was pretty sure he’d never done this before despite his newfound boldness and was embarrassed and taking Bard’s inaction as rejection, and that just was not true.

Bard took off his jumper and picked up the next strawberry with every intention of hand feeding it to him, Thran seemed to guess what he was up to and was back to smirking, leaning over to Bard and Bard did his best not to whimper as Thran ate the strawberry from his fingers.

The second strawberry was even harder because Thran decided to lick some escaped juice off Bard’s fingers.

The third was worse again because that time there was cream.

For the fourth Thran gracefully deposited himself in Bard’s lap, straddling his lap and leaving Bard’s mouth dry.

Thran picked up the next strawberry, pulling off the stem and holding it between his lips, Bard got the invitation and lent forwards to bite it too. The kiss it descended into tasted like strawberries and Thran and Bard was certain there wasn’t a more perfect flavour in the whole world.

Thran kissed him decadently and without reservation and Bard poured himself into the kiss in return, slipping his tongue into Thran’s pretty mouth when his plush lips yielded. Bard licked into his mouth and was not surprised to find he tasted like the strawberries they had just been eating, but there was also something purely _Thran_ and Bad knew he was never going to get tired of the taste.

Bard wrapped his arms around Thran’s waist and pulled him flush against himself and he could feel plainly that he was not the only one thoroughly enjoying this and was no longer worried about just how quickly his jeans had managed to become too tight, because he wasn’t the only one. Both of Thran’s hands were buried in his hair and that felt unfairly good as they tugged gently while they kissed, and when Bard nipped lightly on Thran’s lower lip he let out an almost inaudible whimper and rolled his hips down grinding them together through far too many layers of fabric.

Bard groaned and Thran’s whimpered and Bard fastened his hands around Thran’s hips and guided his hips to _do that again_ as his mouth left Thran’s gasping mouth in favour of kissing at his pale neck, which increased the gasping.

“I’ve known you less than a week.” Thran gasped even as he rutted down into Bard and the hand in Bard’s hair encouraged him to continue hiss assault on his neck, Thran’s other hand gripping tightly to Bard’s shoulder.

“Mmm.” Bard acknowledged, trying not to think about how terrifying that was given that smitten would describe his feelings rather well already.

“I never do this.” Thran panted while his hands seemed intent on ridding Bard off his shirt, Bard helped get it off then quickly stripped Thran of his own (which was incidentally also Bard’s shirt).

“Me neither.” Bard smiled softly at Thran, who was biting his lip very distractingly and let out the most delightful little sound Bard had ever heard when his fingers found his nipples.

“Your chest is obscene.” Thran moaned, running his hands over Bard’s abs and making him grin and then groan as his hands travelled far lower than Bard’s _chest_.

“Your everything is obscene.” Bard all but growled, finding Thran’s lips again for a truly filthy kiss, tugging on that long silver hair and toying with his nipple and getting more of those truly delicious sounds whimpered into his mouth as they kissed.

“I’ve never met anyone like you before.” Thran panted into Bard’s neck as they rutted together like horny teenagers.

It was a strange thing to say because Bard felt like the most normal person in the world, but maybe that wasn’t what he was talking about.

“I’ve never met anyone like you either.” Bard answered, and it was true in many different ways, not least of all because Bard had never felt this way after less than a week before and he would bet everything he owned that he never would again.

Hopefully because he would never be wrapped up in anyone but Thran every again, and if it was a little early for thoughts like that, Bard really did not care.

Thran was rutting down against him almost desperately and Bard let his hand skate down his ivory skin until he was toying with the button on Thran’s trousers before moving to cup and squeeze his hard cock through the fabric. Thran moaned wantonly, muffling the noise in Bard’s neck and bucking into his hand needily.

“Please.” Thran whimpered and he sounded enticingly close to begging.

Bard didn’t bother to answer with words, just undoing the buttons on Thran’s trousers and slipping his hand into his underwear, wrapping around Thran’s hard cock and giving it one long slow stroke. Thran choked off a moan and was desperately scrabbling at the fastenings on Bard’s own trousers. As Thran battled with Bard’s trousers Bard grinned as he distracted Thran, squeezing him and stroking him and running his palm over the leaking head of his cock. He loved watching the determination Thran had focused on unbuttoning Bard’s jeans crumbling for a few glorious moments as Bard did something he particularly liked, before returning even more determined than the last time.

Bard was so wrapped up in watching Thran’s beautiful face contracting in various degrees of pleasure that he didn’t even notice that Thran had finally gotten his trousers open, leaving him with no warning and jerking forwards as an elegant hand wrapped around him.

“Fuck.” Bard groaned into Thran’s neck, it had been far too long since he’d had anyone’s hand other than his own on his cock and he had almost forgotten how good it felt.

Though he was pretty sure it had never felt quite _this_ good before.

He felt like Thran was almost playing with him, always changing his pace and pressure, never doing the same thing more than twice in a row, driving Bard mad just as successfully as he was driving him toward his climax. Their hands were knocking together as they stroked each other and Thran was still making those beautiful little sounds and they were more sharing breath than kissing now, but it created an impossible intimacy that Bard hoped he was never going to lose.

Soon Bard shifted his hand to wrap around the both of them at the same time, sliding their cocks together and making Thran gasp and his breath hitch on every pull. They rolled their hips rhythmically together and there was enough precome between the pair of them to ease the way for Bard’s hand, stroking in time with their thrusts.

Almost tentatively Thran’s hand joined Bard’s own and Bard moaned deep in his throat, their pace was quickening and they were trying to kiss and it was messy and that only made it better. Bard bit at Thran’s red and puffy lower lip again and stroked his spare hand down Thran’s back and dipped it under the waist band of his trousers.

Thran practically _keened_ as Bard’s finger started toying gently with his hole and his movements became erratic, desperately rutting into their joined hands. Bard could feel his end racing towards him as well as Thran’s clever hand had figured out just the way he liked the head of his cock to be squeezed and was taking full advantage of it.

They were both panting heavily into each other’s mouths, their hands moving together fast, hips growing more frantic. Bard tangled their lips together as best they could given their state and slipped the very tip of his finger into Thran’s entrance and that was his undoing. The beautiful blonde came with a cry he tried to muffle in Bard’s shoulder, shuddering against Bard and coming in stripes over their chests and joined hands, the sight was more than enough to finish Bard off too.

“Fuck. Thran.” Bard gasped as he came quickly after Thran, still riding his own climax, his come mingling with Thran’s as he came thickly between them

They rode out the aftershocks dizzily and Thran collapsed against Bard, who in turn slumped against the back of the sofa, the pair of them panting and exhausted. Bard used the hand not covered in their joint release to run through Thran’s silky hair for a little while before finding his discarded shirt and using it to clean them both up a little, before deciding that just wasn’t good enough and slipping form a protesting Thran to go grab a damn cloth and wiping off the drying come properly.

Bard sat back onto the sofa and Thran lifted his head to draw Bard into a deep kiss that said a lot of things without either of them needing to utter a syllable.

“I feel like I’m just a teenager all over again.” Bard grinned, knocking their noses together and wanting to live in Thran’s smile.

“I never did that as a teenager, never had the opportunity.”

“I cannot believe that people haven’t been beating down your door wanting to be with you.” Bard teased, landing a kiss to the end of Thran’s nose.

“It wasn’t that simple.” Thran sighed and he sounded so lost for a moment that Bard ignored his own curiosity in favour of hauling Thran further onto his chest and settling them both down on the sofa, grabbing the blanket he had hung over the back for when he slept and covering them both with it.

They kissed slowly for a little while before Thran lay down against his chest, completely tangled together in order for them both to fit, but Bard knew it could be the biggest sofa in the world and thy would still chose to sleep wound around each other.

“I really like you.” Thran said, wrapped up in Bard’s arms as they drifted off into sleep.

It sounded an awful lot like _please don’t leave me_ and Bard wondered why on earth Thran thought he would.  

“I really like you too.” Bard murmured back, Thran just seemed to hold onto him tighter rather than relax.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response to this fic continues to blow me away and spur me on, thank you all <3
> 
> (The next chapter may well be the one you've all been waiting for ;) )


	6. Chapter 6

 

Waking up with Thran curled up in his arms was a privilege Bard hoped he got the chance to experience again (and again and again). His blonde hair was soft and tickling his nose, their legs were tangled together, arms wrapped around one another and Thran’s head was resting against his chest.

Bard decided it was the best way to wake up in the entire world.

However he also knew that while they still had their trousers (just about) on, they were somewhat less than decent, and it was a week day and Bard most definitely needed a shower before he went to work. So Bard laid a kiss to the top of Thran’s head and fumbled around for his phone, relived to find that his internal clock had woken him up just before the alarm he had forgotten to set would usually have done so.

“Stop moving.” Thran grumbled in an adorable sleepy voice as Bard gently started to extract himself from under him, even Bear was giving him an evil look for making noise from his dog bed.

“Some of us have got to go to work.” Bard smiled, leaving another kiss to Thran’s head and escaping the sofa while Thran continued to grumble.

“I am going for a shower, you might want to find your shirt before children start appearing.” Bard suggested with a grin, which seemed to remind Thran that he was in the living room not a bedroom and he sat up.

“Hey?” Thran called, catching his wrist as Bard turned to start making his way upstairs to wake the children and dive in for a quick shower.

“Yeah?” Bard answered, and Thran tugged him down and kissed him soundly, Bard groaning as Thran cheekily nipped and tugged on his lower lip.

“Stop trying to distract me.” Bard grumbled, all too aware of just how easily Thran would be able to distract him.

“But it’s working so well.” Thran smirked between kisses.

Bard let himself be drawn into one achingly filthy kiss before dragging himself away from Thran’s lips, lips that were now pouting at him for having the audacity for leaving, but it was only a moment before he was smirking again, eyes flicking down Bard’s body and settling on his more than a little interested crotch.

“Need any help with that?” Thran teased, licking his lips, and god he was going to be the death of Bard.

But he knew that if he let himself get drawn back on that sofa like he desperately wanted he knew that one of two things was going to happen; one, he was never going to make it to work, or two, a child was going to stumble downstairs and Bard would still be paying for their therapy when they were thirty.

“I really have to go shower or I’m going to be late.” Bard grimaced. “But I hope you know there is nothing I would rather do than, well, what you seem to be offering.” Bard knew he was blushing.

“You know, I could use a shower too…” Thran trailed off, watching Bard with a mischievous glint in his eye that seemed to be suggesting all kinds of wonderful things.   

Bard did a quick bit of maths in his head, there was fifteen minutes before he would usually be getting the kids out of bed, at a stretch he could make that twenty today and just end up a little rushed which means they had a maximum of twenty minutes before they needed to be out of the shower again.

“I’ve got twenty minutes before I need to get the kids out of bed.” Bard stated, leaving it up to Thran, who immediately looked utterly deviously delighted.

“Plenty of time.” He smirked, rising from the sofa and taking Bard hand and before he knew it he was being tugged up the stairs and straight into the little bathroom.

Bard locked the door behind them and wasted no time before pulling Thran flush against him, plundering his mouth with truly filthy kisses as he made quick work of Thran’s trousers and pants, pushing them down his hips until they fell of their own accord and pooled on the floor around his feet.

Bard couldn’t help himself as he detangled them from kissing to take a step back and drink in the sight of a wholly naked Thran. He was utter perfection, there wasn’t really another word for it. He had miles of snowy skin that didn’t seem to have so much as a blemish, his hair was this impossible silver that reached just short of his waist and matched his skin tone perfectly. His muscle definition was not as obvious as Bard’s, but it was still clearly there, his legs were so long Bard wanted to kiss his way up them and was annoyed he really didn’t have time to right now. His cock matched the rest of him, long and slender and if there was such a thing as a pretty cock it was Thran’s, flushed pink and slowly filling.

One day he would have time, and he would worship every inch of Thran’s body just like it should be.

As he drank in the sight Thran started to blush, the pale dusting of red starting at his cheeks and steadily creeping down his chest.

“You’re perfect.” Bard said simply, resting his hands around Thran’s waist and pulling him forwards for a gentle kiss.

“No one has ever looked at me the way you do.” Thran whispered as Bard moved is attention to his neck and Bard found that hard to believe.

“How?”

“Like they were hungry.” Thran answered, and Bard knew he must be talking about the unbridled lust that was in his eyes.

“Impossible.” He stated, knowing they needed to get a move on if they wanted to do this, but not wanting to break the tender moment.

“None of them dared.” Thran answered, and it was a strange thing to say maybe, but Bard was distracted by the hands working at the fastenings of his own trousers now.

“I dare.” Bard said in a rough whisper as he licked at Thran’s neck.

“I love that you do. Don’t ever stop.” Thran moaned quietly as Bard bite gently on his collarbone and Bard knew that there was no way he would ever be able to stop even if he wanted to.

Thran had Bard’s trousers and underwear on the floor and Bard wasted no time before backing them into the shower, turning it on and chuckling when Thran shrieked at the cold. But it didn’t take long to warm up and Bard seemed to be doing a good job at distracting him with kisses anyway, and they were lazily rutting against each other as the water warmed in the small space of the shower.

Bard was just about to ask Thran what he wanted, and at this point he was prepared to give him just about anything in the world, but before he could ask Thran was dropping to his knees in front of him and frankly it was a small miracle he didn’t come just at the sight.

“You don’t have to, _ah_.” Bard broke off into a gasp as thran wrapped one elegant hand around his now straining cock and started stroking him gently.

“Oh, but I _want_ to.” Thran smirked and Bard was so busy getting lost in that infuriating smirk that he was almost caught off-guard by the way it suddenly wrapped around the head of his cock.  

“ _Fuck_.” Bard panted, letting is head drop back against the tiles, it had been a very long time since someone had done this to him and his memory had _not_ done it justice.

Thran sucked steadily on the head of his cock, working the rest with his hand and given how long it had been before Bard had had someone’s mouth – and never someone like Thran’s – he knew that time was not going to be an issue.

“I’ve only done this once before.” Thran admitted tentatively once he had pulled off, placing open mouthed kisses up his shaft instead.

“You’re perfect.” Bard groaned, trying to stop his hips hitching, wanting Thran’s mouth back on him, wishing they had more time to tease it out but both knowing they didn’t this morning.

Bard cursed again Thran licked at the slit before that obscene mouth sank down on his cock and it was sloppy and inexperienced and it was the best fucking thing Bard had ever felt in his entire life. Having only done it once before Thran couldn’t take him very far, but his hand was working the rest of his cock in tandem with his mouth and he was sucking hard as he pulled up and doing _things_ with his tongue and the best part was that Thran was moaning around his cock like it was turning him on to do it just as much as it was destroying Bard to be receiving it.

“I’m not gunna last.” Bard warned, hands scraping at the tiles, amazed he hadn’t slipped over in the wet shower yet.

“Luckily that is a good thing right now.” Thran teased before bobbing his head back down and working Bard faster than before.

Bard wound a hand into Thran’s hair, getting an obscene moan around his cock when he accidentally pulled it, sending mind numbing vibrations sparking around his cock and giving him a very interesting piece of information to file away for later.

“Thran, seriously, I’m gunna– ” Bard gasped, gently tugging Thran’s hair, but it only seemed to increase the blonde’s determination and with two more pulls of his mouth and flicks of his tongue Bard was groaning and coming hard.

Thran tried to swallow but ended up coughing slightly and pulling off which had the agonising effect of causing the rest of Bard’s release to end up across his face. Bard hauled Thran up from the floor and kissed him thoroughly, tasting himself on Thran’s tongue as the water from the shower poured down on them and feeling Thran’s hard and neglected cock against his hip.

 Bard spun Thran and pushed him up against the wet tiles, shoving his hair to one side and kissing his creamy shoulder and the nape of his neck. He wrapped an arm around Thran and trailed it down his chest, Thran letting out delicious whimpers as he tweaked his nipples and stroked down his stomach before wrapping around his hard cock and starting to stroke.

Bard nipped at his ear and tugged the lobe between his teeth and Thran was bucking desperately into his hand, whining only slightly muffled but the sound of the water. Bard snaked his other hand down Thran’s back, settling it for a moment on the lush round of Thran’s ass, squeezing the pale skin before trailing a finger between his cheeks, stopping to rub over Thran’s entrance.

Bard grinned as Thran seemed caught between thrusting into his hand and pushing back against the finger teasing at him. The water from the shower meant that Bard’s hand was wet which eased the way as he slowly pressed his index finger into Thran, kissing at his neck and working his cock, Thran’s tipping his head back to rest against Bard’s shoulder, whimpering at all the different sensations.

Bard worked his finger inside Thran, stretching him and stroking around, looking for the little bundle of nerves that would make Thran see stars. He knew when he found it, Thran choking off a gasp, back arching before forcing himself back onto Bard’s hand.

“Do that again.” Thran pleaded, somewhere between a beg and a demand and who was Bard to say no anyway.

Bard grinned and nipped at Thran’s neck as he happily did it again, torturing Thran’s sweet spot as he pumping his cock, glad he was no longer a teenager or he would most definitely already be hard again and never make it in to work. He could tell Thran was close simply from the way his hips were bucking frantically, not sure which direction he wanted to go and the litany of incoherent sounds that were falling freely from his puffy red lips.

Bard bit gently and sucked hard on Thran’s neck as hisfinger assaulted his prostate and with just a couple more strokes of hiss hand Thran was crying out, attempting to muffle the sound with his hand and painting the tiles and Bard’s hand with his release, Bard working him through the aftershocks until his legs were shaking.

Were it not for Bard’s strong arm around his waist, Bard was pretty sure Thran would have collapsed to the floor, but he just held onto him until Thran started to take his own weight again, turning in Bard’s arms to kiss him soundly.

After that Bard had a lightning fast shower, jumping out the shower with a kiss to Thran’s still reddened lips and a cheeky smack on his ass, leaving him in there to take a more languid shower as he didn’t have anywhere to be this morning.

Bard raced around getting the kids out of bed, pulling on his work clothes and making lunches and breakfasts and practically inhaling a piece of toast and by some miracle they actually left on time, even if Bard did look a bit scruffier than usual.

“I would ask you if you plucked up the courage to ask that guy out, but the answer is clearly yes.” Percy laughed as Bard clocked in just in time.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Bard answered, having quadruple checked that there was no evidence of this mornings and last night’s activities left on him.

“Please, you have that ‘I just got laid for the first time in eight years’ look on you.” Percy snorted, throwing Bard a load of information on the car he was working on first.

“It hadn’t been eight years.” Bard grumbled, Tilda wasn’t even eight yet, however Percy was tragically right to be counting in years rather than months.

God that was sad.

But it was rather hard to either date or get laid when for over a year the thought of anyone other than his wife made him sick and since then the three children single father full time job thing had made it rather difficult.

“So you did get lucky!” Percy cheered, slapping him on the back.

“You are way too invested in my personal life.” Bard pointed out, rolling his eyes at his friend.

“Only a healthy interest in my friend’s happiness.” Percy corrected, popping the bonnet of a car. “Whoever this guy is, I’m glad you found him, you’ve been happier this week than I’ve seen in a while.” Percy commented, as nonchalantly as he could manage.

“Yeah. I am.” Bard agreed, nodding and turning back to his own work doing a valiant job at not freaking out that it hadn’t even quite been a week yet.

Bard got through the work day and scooped up the children on the way home as he always did, even more excited than usual to be getting back home given who was waiting there for him at the moment.

He didn’t even mind that Tilda seemed so adept at stealing Thran’s attention because watching the blonde getting dragged around by his youngest with nothing but a true smile covering his face was something Bard was never going to be able to forget.

“Mister Bard?” Legolas voice pulled him out of his mind and he looked down at the adorable little boy. 

“Just Bard is fine Legolas.” Bard smiled, crouching down to get on his eye level. “What is it?” Bard prompted when the boy shuffled his feet and gnawed on his lip rather than carrying on.

“Do you promise that even when me and ada have to go home that you will still like us and let us spend time with you and come see us and stuff.” Legolas asked, voice tentative.

“Of course.” Bard smiled, bemused by the question.

“’Cause ada is worried you won’t.” Legolas added in a mumble.

“Well you don’t need to worry about that, I’ll made sure ada knows I’m not going anywhere.” Bard promised, affectionately bopping the end of Legolas’ nose and getting a smile and much to his delight a hug from the little boy.

“Thank you.” Legolas smiled before skipping off and joining Tilda and Thran in the other room.

Bard wondered to himself why Thran would think there was any chance whatsoever of Bard letting him go after this past week, but he knew he wasn’t going to let Thran continue to think that. Maybe it had to do with whatever it was Bard didn’t know, but to be honest Bard didn’t care if he was a model or an actor or something, that information was hardly going to be startling enough for him to let him go at this point.

Besides he kind of suspected it anyway, right now his money was on the model option given Thran’s cheekbones.

“Me and Legolas will have to go home soon.” Thran said from the doorway to the kitchen, sounding rather like there was nothing he wanted less in the world, petting Bear’s head as he nudged insistently at Thran’s hand.

“Stay.” Bard smiled, making sure Thran knew the option was there, that he was still entirely welcome.

“Trust me there is nothing I want to do more.”

“Well in that case you had better leave me with a phone number, address and a full name because I fully intend to take you on a great many more dates.” Bard grinned, and something in Thran’s face softened. “And you better promise me that you will visit.”

“Even though you don’t even know my full name, that I’m hiding something from you?”

“That seems to matter less and less every day, and besides, whatever it is, it isn’t going to change the fact that I have no intention of letting you go.” Bard assured, cutting up some carrots.

“You say that but you don’t know what it is.” Thran grimaced, and honestly it couldn’t be _that_ bad. “It will change things.”

“It won’t change the fact that I really like you.” Bard shrugged, throwing the chopped carrots into the pan and turning to look at Thran, who had a conflicted expression on his face.

“You promise? No matter what?” He asked nervously.

“No matter what.” Bard smiled, reeling Thran in for a kiss because he felt like he needed it.

Thran looked like he at least half believed it when he finished kissing him, not that Bard thought he would ever really be finished kissing him. In fact he had barely gotten started.

After dinner they all sat around in the living room and Legolas begged to be allowed to watch the Lion King when he found it in the shelf and no one else minded so they put it on. Legolas’ impressions of Simba were adorable, especially his attempt at a roar and by the end of it Tilda and Legolas were both falling asleep on Thran who had been used somewhat like a climbing frame by the pair of them for the last half hour.

They put Legolas and Tilda to bed and Sigrid and Bain argued over what they wanted on the tv until Bard threatened to put on a documentary he had wanted to see and suddenly they agreed on Ice Age. Thran had apparently never seen it before and was finding it rather hilarious and his laugh was a sound that Bard missed whenever it wasn’t filling the air.

After the kids were all in bed they spent the rest of the evening reading, Thran tucked up under Bard’s arm, resting his head and book against Bard’s chest as he did so, still reading Bard’s terrible trashy romance. Bard made a point of teasing him when he could see he was reading smut and got a petulant poke in the ribs for his trouble and he really didn’t ever want to lose this.

Thran blushed when Bard realised he had left his (Bard’s borrowed) pyjamas next to Bard’s in the bathroom making it clear he planned to spend the night curled up on the sofa with Bard again, Bard just kissed the blush right off his cheeks.

The evening seemed to had run away from them and it was getting late – too late considering Bard had work the next morning – when they were finally settling down on the sofa, sharing long lazy kisses as they wrapped up together and Bard knew he could quite happily lose himself in that moment forever.

But the tiredness of the day was finally catching up to Bard so with a final kiss to Thran’s mouth and one to his nose he turned him gently in his arms and he pulled Thran against his chest, tucking together like spoons on the sofa. It didn’t take long before the warmth of the blanket and Thran and the quite darkness was sending Bard off to sleep.

“There is something I need to tell you.” Thran whispered, voice tentative, but Bard was already drifting off.

“Tell me tomorrow.” Bard mumbled, kissing the back of Thran’s neck. “I’m exhausted.”

“Okay.”

They fell asleep like that, his arms around that ivory skin, Thran tucked up against Bard’s chest, right where he belonged.

Bard did not expect, nor did he appreciate, being woken up before his alarm – which went off pretty damn early anyway – by someone hammering on the front door. At first he wasn’t entirely sure what he was hearing, because who in their right _mind_ would be knocking on his door before seven in the morning.

“What the fuck.” Bard groaned, voice groggy as he extracted himself from Thran who was making some token noises of protest. “I’ll make them fuck off and be right back.” Bard promised, kissing Thran before stalking to the door and wrenching it open.

“What is your problem there are kids asleep, _I_ was a sleep you complete – ” Bard’s insult died on his tongue as his tired brain computed what he was looking at.

That was the king. Looking down his nose, caught between fixing Bard with a grimace and a look of anger was the sodding _king_. Bard might not really give two shits about the royals or even really be particularly aware of them, but he knew what the king looked like and he looked like the man currently on Bard’s doorstep.

What the fuck was he doing here? Bard half wondered if he was still dreaming because nothing about this made sense and his bleary tired mind was not processing what was standing in front of him very well because it was so very surreal.

The king – because it was the fucking king – raised an imperious eyebrow as Bard blinked and stared at him.

Bard’s mind then caught on something, the long silver blonde hair pulled back in a sleek pony tail and just how familiar it looked.

Bard couldn’t help but turn to the sofa were Thran was sleeping and a lot of things clicked into place.

The missing prince.

_Shit._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I keep saying it but that is because it continues to mean so much to me so I am going to say it again; thank you so much for the amazing response this fic is getting, it means the world to me, I hope you all continue to like it <3


	7. Chapter 7

 

Bard stood and stared, gaping like a fish and caught between sending that look at Oropher or Thranduil.

He wasn’t sure what he was angrier at his own obliviousness – because now everything was clicking into place it was so _very_ obvious – or at Thran’s leaving out of certain key facts.

Some kind of famous model would be one thing, but a royal? And not just any random royal, no, the prince and heir of the fucking country. Fantastic. Bard would probably be more scared of Oropher and the formidable figure he cut were it not for the fact that his mind was busy working a mile a minute trying to work out how the fuck he and Thranduil were ever going to make it work now.

“I have come to retrieve my son.” Oropher stated, probably realising that Bard was not really capable of words at that particular moment, his voice was calm but left precisely no room for argument.

It did the trick though and jarred Bard back into reality and not ten years down the line where he had been imagining a relatively simple life with Thranduil by his side (that fantasy was rapidly evaporating). Bard blinked a few times at Oropher, who looked like his patience was quickly diminishing.

“Right. Yes. I’ll just go…get him. Your son. The prince. Right.” Bard said, half babbling and trying to get the whole idea of it to sink in by saying it out loud, it made a new unreadable expression settle over Oropher’s fine features.

“You were unaware of his position.” It was a statement not a question.

“You could say that.” Bard muttered to himself, before turning away and walking back to the sofa, realising a little too late that you probably shouldn’t mutter to the king and he probably should have bowed or some shit too. Oh well, too late to worry about that now.

He came around the sofa and whatever confused and angry expression that had been on his face promptly melted into something much softer as he was confronted once again with the sight of a sleeping Thran, snuggled down onto the sofa and dressed in Bard’s own pyjamas. Bard tried not to be self-conscious about the fact that Oropher was definitely watching him as he bent down and shook Thranduil’s shoulder gently.

“Thran, you need to get up.” Bard said softly, only for Thran to swipe out a hand and try to pull him back down onto the sofa.

“Sleepy.” He mumbled, voice slow.

“Seriously, up, now.” Bard tried to coax him, using the way Thran had hold of him to try and pull him up.

“No.” Thran’s voice was almost a whine and it would have been adorable were it not for the circumstances.

“Your father is here.” Bard sighed and said bluntly and that had Thran sitting bolt upright eyes wide in no time.

Thran threw a look at the door where Oropher was watching them with a cool but concerned expression, his arms folded over his chest. Thran swung his gaze back to Bard, a look of almost terror flooding his features.

“Oh my god Bard I am so sorry I was going to tell you, I was going to tell you last night but you wanted to sleep and then I was going to tell you this morning, I swear I was going to tell you. Oh god please don’t hate me.” Thran pleaded desperately, holding tight to Bard’s hand and Bard knew he was telling the truth.

In truth Bard wasn’t even angry, he’d told Thran he’d wait for him to tell him, he’d known Thran was keeping something from him. He just hadn’t expected this. He was shell-shocked and angry at himself and annoyed at his own stupidity because the man he was well on the way to being in love with already (which was terrifying anyway) was a prince, and Bard wasn’t an idiot, he lived in the real world, he knew that was never going to happen.

He wasn’t angry, he was unbelievably upset.

And now that all the implications were sinking in, he was trying very, very hard to keep it together.

“I could never hate you.” Bard answered softly, and he knew his face was probably as melancholy as his voice but he forced a smile onto it anyway. “I knew there was something after all.”

“Still, it wasn’t fair of me and you know it.” Thran’s eyes and voice were screaming with panic, as was the tight grip he had on Bard’s arm.

And no. It hadn’t been fair. It hadn’t been fair of Thran to let Bard start falling for him just hard enough to know that this could be something special, something he was never going to find again. It wasn’t fair for either of them.

But it was done now. And he couldn’t find it in his heart to be angry.

“It is what it is.” Bard shrugged weakly and he knew that was a poor answer but he wasn’t sure what else he could say when Thran was slipping through his fingers with every second he thought about it more.

But then Thran was kissing him, an ever-so light barely there touch of lips and it was simultaneously the sweetest thing Bard had ever felt and it was also like a knife twisting in his chest. Because they couldn’t have this. Bard pulled away as gently as he could, trying to spare them both a little, but he saw another flash of panic across Thran’s features before it settled into a hard resolve instead.

“I will not stop seeing Bard.” Thran said, voice firm and cold and he stood and turned to face his father, somehow looking just as formidable as Oropher despite the pyjamas, not that Oropher was looking particularly royal, smart and well dressed, but he seemed to be dressed to blend in a little.

“What.”

“What?”

Oropher spoke at the same time as Bard, the king’s voice hard and laced with anger, Bard’s own just confused.

“If you still want me to, of course.” Thran added, voice gone soft again, turning to Bard and looking vulnerable all of a sudden, none of the surety he had just faced his father with.

“Of course I want you to. But Thran. _Thranduil_. You’re the prince of the England for gods sake. How would it even work?”

“It wouldn’t.” Oropher spoke as though through gritted teeth, even though neither of them were looking at him, Bard did not appreciate his contribution and just waited for Thran’s answer.

“I don’t know. But I would find a way. For you I would find a way. I don’t want to lose this.” Thran’s voice was filled with determined ferocity, but it died off when he added in a much quieter voice. “I can’t lose this.” And Bard knew how he felt because it was the same as he did.

Bard also wanted to believe him.

“Is it even allowed?” Bard asked, voice meek even to his own ears.

“Is what allowed?”

“We’re both men.” Bard pointed out, he was not an idiot, he knew the world would not react kindly to a future king of England being with a man instead of a woman. And Bard would love to tell the world to fuck off but Thranduil was going to be king of the country one day so it just was not as simple as telling the world to fuck off.

“No it is not.” Oropher spoke again, Thran shot him a dangerous look, Bard just wanted him to shut up and let him have this conversation with his son, it wasn’t exactly an easy conversation to have anyway.

“There is no law against it.” Thran said, which was both an answer and not an answer.

“No _written_ law against it.” Oropher again and could he not just _shut up_ and let them talk.

“This isn’t simple Thran.” Bard said. “I don’t want to lose this either, but this isn’t simple.”

“I know.” Thran’s voice was sad, they both wanted it, but neither of them were convinced they were going to be allowed to have it.

“For goodness sake Thranduil, stop behaving like your escapist fling being over is the end of the world.” Oropher’s hard voice came from the door again and Thran looked angry but something in Bard snapped.

“Look. I’m sorry but you need to leave. I need to have a conversation with your son and you need to not be here for it. So kindly go away.” Bard marched over to the door, ready to close it.

It then dawned on him anew that this was _the king of England_. Oropher looked shocked, taken aback at being spoken to in such a manner and went to open his mouth to respond and Bard would be lying if he said he wasn’t shit scared in that moment, but it was Thran’s voice he heard next, soft and imploring, not Oropher’s imposing voice.

“Please ada.” It left Oropher faltering and looking over Bard’s shoulder and to his son. “He makes me happy.”

There was a tense moment where Thran and Oropher just looked at each other. It was broken when Oropher sighed, he sounded resigned more than anything.

“Everything that comes with him if you do this will only make both of you unhappy.” Oropher warned and Bard could hear the notes of regret in his voice. Then much to his surprise, Oropher turned and left, climbing into a car held open by one lone footman and being driven away.

Thran looked nervous as Bard shut the door and turned around, walking past him and into the kitchen, flicking on the kettle, Thran following him and looking a little lost. Bear poked his head up from his bed in the kitchen, having chosen to sleep in there last night and started knocking at Thranduil’s legs asking for his food, food which Thran promptly gave him while stroking his big head because Thran knew where it was kept and he knew how much Bear was fed in the mornings and something tightened in Bard’s chest.

“We need to talk about this.” Bard said finally, pouring out two cups of tea and sitting down at the table, Thran sliding into the seat opposite.

“Are you angry with me?” Thran asked, voice quiet and rubbing his hands together nervously that seemed so incongruous to everything else that he was.

“No.” Bard answered honestly. “I’m not angry because at the end of the day I knew you were hiding something and I told you it was okay, and I believe you when you say you were going to tell me last night. I won’t deny that right now I am a little shell-shocked and a bit annoyed but no, not angry. Mainly upset.” Bard told him honestly, deciding that the only way through this particular conversation was going to be total honesty.

“Upset?” Thranduil asked, voice tentative, Bard reached out and tangled their fingers together pulling Thran’s hands towards him and stroking over the smooth skin, as if he were committing those hands to memory.

“Of course I’m upset.” Bard nodded gently, running a thumb over the back of Thranduil’s hand. “The way I feel about is _insane_ because I’ve known you a week.”

“But I feel the same. Isn’t that a good thing?” Thran asked, eyes pleading, and hands pliant in Bard’s.

“I don’t know. I don’t see how it can work.” Bard sighed, pressing a kiss to Thran’s knuckles just because for now, he could.

“We’ll make it work.” Thran insisted.

“I want to say that as well but you know it isn’t that simple.”

“I know.” Thranduil deflated and Bard really wanted to kiss the fear right off his face.

“I mean first thing, your father didn’t exactly seem happy and he is the king, if he says no then surely it’s a no?” Bard asked, he had no idea how things worked in a royal household.

“He’s not homophobic exactly. It’s complicated. He in himself doesn’t have a problem with it, but he knows a lot of the UK and the majority of the rest of the world _will_ have a problem with it, and he is more concerned with appearances than anything else. He has made it clear from the day he knew that no one was to ever find out.” Thran explained, Bard held his hand a little tighter knowing that such a pressure had been put on Thranduil.

“Is that why he was here alone, apart from his driver?” Bard asked, Thran nodded.

“I imagine it was fifty-fifty between wanting to protect me from the news getting out and wanting to keep my ‘dirty laundry’ from the world and avoid the chaos that would happen if people did find out.” Thran laughed self depreciatingly, Bard squeezed his hands, his father cared about his happiness, but he also cared about a lot of other things that had little to do with Thranduil’s happiness. “The butler, Galion, is a most trusted friend, he has known about my…proclivities, for a long time.”

“Your father is right though, you know the country would not react well, let alone the rest of the world.” Bard said softly, it was never going to be a simple coming out.

“I think you would be more than worth going through that for, Bard Bowman.” Thran smiled and him and Bard shared in it.

“Have we known each other long enough for you to want to risk all that.”

“In my logical mind I would like to know you longer first. But in my heart I know I don’t need to.” Thran answered, and it was incredibly romantic in a strange way, it was also exactly how Bard felt, that time he couldn’t help but lean across the space to give Thranduil a chaste but firm kiss.

“Will it affect your right to the throne?” Bard asked, wondering how in the course of so short a time he was having to consider things like someone’s right to a country.

“I don’t deny that a lot of people will want it to. But technically, legally, no, I don’t believe so. But I am sure my father will have trusted people combing through various documents to find out for sure.”

“There will be so much hate thrown our way.” Bard said, chewing on his bottom lip, run of the mill homophobia that all gay couples ran into was hard and horrible enough, but they would be hounded by paparazzi, smeared in tabloids, hear people telling them they would burn in hell on the tv, not that Bard even believed in hell, but still, that wasn’t going to be easy.

“I know. I’m sorry. I’ll– I’ll understand if you don’t want to do it, knowing all of that will happen.” Thranduil said, voice shaky and trying to pull his hands away but Bard wouldn’t let him.

“Know that if it was just me and you, if we were the only ones I had to consider then I would happily face all of that will you. I would hold your hand and I wouldn’t let a damn thing they said worry me.” Bard told him fiercely, and it made Thran smile, he loved making him smile. He was far too beautiful when he smiled.

“But we are not the only two we need to consider.” Thranduil acknowledged.

“Yeah. We have kids. I don’t even know how I feel about the fact we still _have_ a monarchy.” Bard laughed and a smile quirked at the corners of Thran’s lips.

Bard was trying to ease the air, but there was nothing for it other than to fight their way through this conversation really. It almost said it all that they seemed to both be refusing to let go of each other’s hands.

“I need to know exactly what kind of environment I will be bringing them into.” Bard said simply, Thranduil’s eyes made it clear he understood.

“It is both easier and harder.” He said honestly. “In some ways they will want for nothing. In others they will be restricted. It will be less extreme for them as they are not technically royal children, and if there came a day when we married and if they wished I would have them legitimised and added to the succession, and if they did not want that, then I would not. It would not change how I felt about them, nor will it change that it will be Legolas who remains first in line, not that I am convinced he is ever going to want to be king any more than I do.”

“You don’t want to be king?”

“No. right now I have never wanted it less, but it has never been something that bought me joy, only a burden.”

“You can’t abdicate?” Bard asked. “I would never ask you to. I just mean for yourself, why make yourself unhappy?”

“There is no one else. And I may not like it, but I will be good at it.” Thranduil answered, Bard wondered how different this conversation might be going if Thranduil had had siblings.

“If we were to try, what would happen to my life?” Bard asked, not even entirely sure if he cared for anything in the one he currently had apart from his family and his friend.

“It would be changed. It is hard to say how much, unfortunately a lot of that depends on my father. He would probably try to bend you into someone he deemed worthy. Give you titles, stop you from working, groom you and have you follow all the pomp and circumstance in the world.” Thranduil’s eyes flickered to meet Bard. “Please don’t ever let him.”

“I’d like to see him try.” Bard smiled, it made Thran laugh which in turn warmed Bard’s heart.

They sat quietly for a little while, drinking their now only luke-warm tea while Bard tried to digest everything he had been told. He sent a quick email to the master telling him he wouldn’t be able to make it I today, and sending Percy a similar text apologising for leaving him alone with Alfrid, which was never fun.

“I don’t know how the children will react to widespread hate being thrown at us.” Bard said after a while, that was the real thing that tipped the scale, it couldn’t be good or healthy for children to be taken not only into an environment so extremely different to the one they were used to, but to also start hearing god-awful things said about their dad, or indeed dads, if that ever became the case.

“I know.” Thranduil said, he knew that was the real concern, that Bard’s real concern would always be for the children and not himself. “I worry about that with Legolas as well.” He admitted, Bard knew this was not an easy decision for him to make either.

“But you still think it would be worth it?”

“I know my on well enough to know that if he could understand the whole situation, he would want me to try and be happy, truly happy again. Before you he was about the only thing that could make me smile, he knew that and it meant he threw tantrums whenever we weren’t in the same room. He knows you make me happy, he begged me the other day for us never to go back so that we could stay here with you and the kids forever and be happy forever.” Thranduil finished with a sad smile.

Bard desperately wanted to make Thranduil happy, he wanted to make him smile and laugh every day, he wanted to hold his hand and surprise him with picnics and kiss him in the shower.

“Why were you running away? When I found you?” Bard asked, wondering what the catalyst had been.

“It had been building up for a long time, one this after another. I was not in control of my own time, constantly being pushed one way and then another, my time was never my own and I find it hard to go without some quiet for extended periods of time so I would often lock myself away in my private library with Legolas, just to get some peace. I was on edge, I hadn’t had more than five minutes just to myself in weeks unless I was asleep, I scooped up Legolas with the intention of disappearing into the library for a few hours, only to discover the locks, the locks to my own personal library, had been changed and my key no longer worked. My father informed me that I had shirked my duties and hidden from my work too often of late so the ‘privilege’ had been taken from me. As if I was some small child in need of scolding.

“So I ran instead. I packed us a bag and forgot everything of use, so unaccustomed to needing to do things like carry money, and we left, stealing away in the night like bandits. It took about half an hour for me to have convinced myself it was the worst decision of my life and was only going to embarrass myself and have to go home. But then I met you, and you had no idea who I was and you were so kind and you took us in and before I knew what was happening I was half in love with you already.” Thranduil finished in a rush, blushing at his own words.

“Is it really me, or just that I treat you like a normal person?” Bard asked nervously, it was something that had been worrying at his thoughts since he found out.

“It’s you. It’s your kindness and your sense of humour, your smile, your selflessness. It’s you. It’s everything about you.” Thranduil told him, brimming with sincerity and Bard saw a twinkle of mischief in his eyes before he spoke again, voice much lighter. “The sex was excellent as well.” He teased and Bard blushed that time.

“I had sex with the prince of England.”  Bard said, voice a little dumb struck by the concept.

“And he rather hopes you might do it again sometime.” Thranduil teased again and they both smiled and grinned at each other before falling into another silence while Bard thought. 

He thought about a lot, but it was quite hard to think at all with Thran sat there because all he wanted to do was kiss the worry off his face.

“I need some time to think.” Bard said softly after a little while, and he hated the way Thran’s face fell and filled with sadness, looking at his lap while he nodded, but it didn’t change the fact that he knew he needed to think long and hard about it. “Hey, it isn’t a no.” Bard murmured, tucking a couple of fingers under Thran’s chin and tilting his head up to meet his eyes.

“But it isn’t a yes either.” Thran smiled sadly, as if he knew Bard’s final answer would be a no.

“Is there a number I can reach you on?”

“I have a private mobile.” Thranduil nodded, taking Bard’s phone from him and adding the number.

“I will call you.” Bard told him firmly, seeing the time and knowing the children really needed to be getting up in order to make it to school. “I need to get the kids up.”

“I’ll get Legolas and gather our things, call my father to come collect us.” Thranduil said, Bard didn’t want them to leave, but Oropher would only come back anyway if Thranduil didn’t call him and go home. 

He wondered how on earth Oropher had found them, but he supposed it didn’t really matter, not in the end anyway.

They both went upstairs and neither commented on the way they were holding hands as they did so, before Thran disappeared into Bard’s bedroom, and Bard into the girls’ room.

“Time to get up girls, got to get ready for school.” Bard said as he attempted to stir his daughters from sleep. “Thran and Legolas are going home this morning, you want to have time to said goodbye.” He added, and it only served to break his heart as Tilda yelled ‘no!’ in a sleepy voice and stumbled in her haste to get out of bed, bolting down the hall and into Bard’s room to go find them, Sigrid hot on her heels and apparently Bain had heard him as well because he was out of his room and heading across the landing to Bard’s room as well.

Bard poked his head in and saw Thran gathering up all their combined children in a big hug while trying not to make promises he wasn’t sure he could keep about seeing them again.

“Hey.” Bard caught Thran’s wrist as the kids had finally been dispersed to go get ready for school. “Even if we can’t, if I decide. Well even if, you’re still my friend, you’ll always be welcome here. We can be your private library.” He finished with a little smile.

“Thank you. I think I needed to hear that.” Thran answered, and Bard kissed his cheek and left him to get his things together while Bard made the kids their lunches and set out breakfast.

“My father is outside.” Thran said when he came downstairs, stood by Bard.

“That was quick.” Bard said, it felt like it was happening way to fast.

“He probably just had Galion driving around the neighbourhood.” Thran said in way of an explanation.

“I don’t want you to go.” Slipped past Bard’s lips before he could think better of it, but it was true, he wished they could just stay here in the bubble they had created for themselves, he wished Oropher hadn’t broken it, and he wished things could be simple.

“I don’t want to go.” Thran agreed in another sad smile, too many of his smiles were sad now.

“Then don’t go.” Tilda stomped her foot, apparently having heard.

“Why can’t we stay ada please.” Legolas added, big blue eyes wide and watery, cuddling Bear’s fur where he was sat next to him, practically the same height as Legolas.

“You know why little leaf.” Thranduil answered and Legolas huffed, burying his face in Bear’s fur, Bear licked his hair.

Thranduil was hugging the children again and saying goodbyes, this time with a promise to visit and Bard found himself with Legolas running into him for a hug as well.

“You make him happy.” He said, voice muffled by Bard’s clothes.

“He makes me happy too.” Bard said, wishing that was all there was to it.

“You promised you would still let us come visit.” Legolas protested, as if Bard didn’t want them here anymore.

“And you always can come.” Bard answered, crouched down and stroking Legolas’ hair.

Eventually Bard and Thranduil were both let go of and Legolas was stood by Thran and their solitary bag at the front door.

“I will call you. Soon.” Bard promised, tucking some of Thranduil’s silky hair behind his ear.

“Can I. Can I kiss you? Just in case.” Thran asked, and Bard understood, just in case it was the last time they did.

Bard smiled again threaded a hand through Thran’s hair, drawing him forward for a slow, deep kiss that made his heart ache in his chest. He tried to comit it all to memory, the feel of Thran’s lips, the taste of his mouth, the way Thran’s elegant hands against his chest were pulling him even closer. He even intended to remember the grossed out noise the children made and the way their little noses wrinkled up at the sight of parents being mushy.

Bard pulled away and there was a tear running down Thranduil’s cheek, he kissed it away, it made Thran smile and look even sadder at the same time.

“I will call you. I promise.” Bard reassured him again, not that either of them were sure of what his decision would be, so maybe it wasn’t much of a comfort.

Then with one final kiss to those soft lips, Thran and Legolas left, climbing into the car his father was waiting in and being driven away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm what will Bard decide? ;) 
> 
> Thank you for reading and for the astounding support on this fic, it means the world to me <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for disappearing, I had a breakdown as well as or because of the pile of uni work I am drowning under, but I'm good again now it would seem :') Sorry again for wait, thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy it <3

 

Bard was glad he had called work to tell them he wouldn’t be coming in because there was no way he was going to be able to focus on a car engine today. He’d dropped the kids off and returned home to his kitchen where he was going through cups of tea like they would provide the answer to all of his problems.

He had no idea what to do.

You spend so long in life being told to follow your heart, but then every time you do and it doesn’t work out you’re made to feel like a stupid fool for ever thinking it would. Everyone tells you to follow your heart but really they mean only if your head is telling you it is okay too. And right now Bard’s heart and his head were decidedly not in agreement.

Bard did something everybody does when things get dire, he got in his car and drove to go see his mum.

“Well this is a lovely surprise.” She smiled, if a little bewildered, as she opened the door to find him there.

Bard felt like he was eight years old again and had just skinned his knee when he practically fell forward for his mum to give him a cuddle, he couldn’t help himself, he needed his mum.

“Oh dear. What’s happened?” She asked, giving Bard a good squeeze just like she always used to do, Bard sighed and sat himself down at her little kitchen table.

“You know how you always said I have a knack for getting myself into impossible situations?” Bard said, doing his best to give her a smile and half-failing, she raised an eyebrow at him. “Well I think this one takes the cake.”

“What have you don’t this time?” She asked, pushing a steaming mug of tea in front of Bard and opening up the biscuits to put between them.

“I met this guy and I’ve only known him a week but I feel like it could be something really special, like honestly I have not felt anything close to this since Mattie and that’s terrifying enough, and the kids love him and his little boy is one of the sweetest kids I’ve ever met. Even Bear loves them.”

“I am yet to see the problem.” His mother pointed out, lifting up her mug to take a sip.

“He’s the prince of England.” Bard sighed, and much to her credit, his mother did not spit out her tea.

“I sincerely hope you are not pulling my leg son.” She told him, using that tone and expression that had always had him confessing his misbehaviour as a child.

“I’m not I promise. Here, look.” Bard said, flicking through his phone to the gallery and passing it over.

His mother raised an eyebrow again as she flicked through the few photos Bard had taken over the last week before handing the phone back.

“Alright then. Start from the beginning.” She said, leaning back in her chair and dunking a biscuit in her tea.

Bard re-laid the whole story – although he did leave out the part where he and Thranduil had got a little physical, no mother needed to hear that about her child – but other than that she got the whole story, from the service station to Oropher knocking on the door.

“How do you get yourself into these situations?” She snorted and Bard couldn’t help but feel she was way to calm about it all.

“So what should I do?” Bard asked, giving her his best pleading eyes that he hoped still worked.

“Well that’s your decision not mine.” She pointed out, far too reasonable as always.

“Can’t you just tell me what I’m supposed to do?” Bard groaned, letting his head drop onto the table.

“You’re too old and this is far too important for me to be able to just tell you.” She told him, grabbing herself another biscuit.

“You must at least have an opinion though.” Bard pushed, she was always good at helping him make hard decisions.

“Well, on the one hand you’re clearly completely smitten, and from the sounds of things so is he. But on the other hand there is everything else, primarily the children and what effect it is going to have on them.”

“And therein lies the problem.” Bard sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “If you were in my place what would you do?”

“For starters I would talk to my children, let them know what is happening.” She told him, and honestly the only reason he hadn’t yet was because he had taken them straight to school. “Then I would think long and hard on it until I came up with a solution.”

Bard wanted her to either tell him to go for it or not to, but he knew she wasn’t going to say either way because this had to be his own decision. He went back home a little while after, promising to come back to tell her what he had decided and fix her sink soon.

Going back into his house was weird, it had only been a week but he had grown so used to Thranduil and Legolas being there to greet him. He opened the front door and Bear bounded up to greet him, frantically nudging against him in his excitement after being left alone for a couple of hours.

“What am I gunna do Bear?” Bard asked, ruffling the dog’s ears, sitting on the sofa and letting the dog hop up with him, convinced he was a lapdog despite his massive size and successfully crushing Bard.

He knew that Bear’s vote would be for Bard to go for it, just like the children’s would be too, but he worried that was only because they didn’t understand the weight of the whole situation. And Bard was glad they didn’t, they were too young to be exposed to the uglier parts of the world, not that Bard would ever want them to come face to face with that, but knowing better than to think he could hide them from it forever.

He would be taking them into a whole new world, and not a forgiving one. They would hear horrible things said about Bard and Thranduil simply for loving each other, they would know that people hated them simply because they loved each other. And Bard was not stupid, he knew that it was not only the children that would effect, it would be a constant pressure on their relationship, they would never be able to appear anything other than smitten with each other, they would likely get heckled for holding hands in public and not doing so alike. No part of this was going to be easy for either of them, especially as Bard imagined most of the political peoples surrounding Thranduil would not want for them to be together.  But still Bard knew that if he was the only one he had to consider in this equation then it would be a no brainer.

Bard’s head hurt from thinking, he looked at Bear and decided to take a page from his book and nap in the middle of the day.

The sofa still smelt like Thranduil.

Bard dreamt of silver blond hair and kissable lips which unfortunately did not help with his decision. When he woke up he was surprised by the fact he didn’t wear tracks in the floor from pacing around, especially as Bear insisted on following his every step. Eventually Bard just had to heave a sigh for the umpteenth time that day and headed out to collect the children, Bear insisting on coming with him and jumping in the boot, even as Bard tried to explain they really weren’t going anywhere interesting.

He waited until everyone was sat around the dinner table munching away happily before bringing up the subject of Thranduil and who exactly he was.  

“So there’s something I need to tell you guys.” Bard started awkwardly, none of them stopped eating but they did at least look up from their plates inquisitively. “It’s about Thran and Legolas.”

“Is it about when we get to see them again?” Tilda chirped happily, stuffing another forkful of pasta in her mouth.

“Sort of.” Bard grimaced taking a deep breath and just getting on with it. “It turns out that Thran is actually prince Thranduil and the future king of England.” It really sounded ridiculous when said out loud, Tilda looked like she was trying to process what exactly Bard had just said and Bain looked like he was trying to work out if he was being serious or not.

“What. You didn’t know?!” Sigrid practically yelled, dropping her fork into her bowl and burying her head in her hands like Bard was the most embarrassing, hopeless person on the planet.

“You did!?” Bard shot yelled back, feeling oddly betrayed.

“Oh my god I can’t believe it of course I know I thought we just weren’t talking about it for some reason. I mean he was clearly hiding.” Sigrid bemoaned. “Honestly da his face has been everywhere lately how can you possibly not have known.”

“Because apparently I live under a rock.” Bard grumbled, resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at his daughter as she rolled her eyes so hard Bard was surprised they didn’t fall out entirely.

“This is amazing!” Tilda interrupted with a delighted shriek that left Bard’s ears ringing.  “Now when you and mister Thran get married I will be a princess!” She cheered and Bard had expected this single minded focus from her, if not the decibel level.

“It is pretty cool.” Bain admitted, going for nonchalance but looking pretty excited at the concept.

“It’s not that simple guys, I know it all sounds cool but there are a lot of things to think about.” Bard said, now feeling like he was about to trample all over their excitement.

“But you like him?” Tilda said, nose scrunched up in confusion. “That doesn’t seem very tricky to me.”

“That’s not the only thing they have to think about though Til.” Sigrid said, and Bard was relieved that at least she seemed to have some kind of grasp of the situation.

“Why not?” Tilda asked and Bard was suddenly struck by just how difficult any of this was to explain to someone as young as her.

“Because there are people who wouldn’t like it. Some people don’t think two men or two women should be allowed to be together, and because Thranduil is famous people would be very mean.” Bard did his best to explain, she still looked confused, though Bard would bet at why on earth people would think like that rather than what he had actually said. “It would be hard and a lot of people would not want us to be together, and it would be a very different life for you guys as well. Being princes and princesses sounds like a lot of fun but there are a lot of drawbacks.” Bard continued, even though he knew he wouldn’t be letting anyone try to control his children’s lives he still knew that people would try and they would have to face a lot of changes.

“Are we what’s stopping you? Cause you’re worried about us?” Bain asked, it made Bard feel guilty because they were probably about to feel guilty but he couldn’t help it, they were the main priority of his life.

“You guys are my world. I won’t do anything that won’t be good for you or you don’t want me to.” Bard said by way of an answer, hoping they understood.

“I pretty sure I speak for all three of us when I say we want you to be happy.” Sigrid said, her sibling nodding along with her words and Bard smiled at his kids, wondering how on earth he had gotten so lucky.

“I am happy anyway.” Bard told them meaning every word.

“Yeah but you’re also kind of a lonely old man.” Bain said and Bard supposed he probably was old to them, come to think of it he didn’t actually even know how old Thran was, they couldn’t be too different in age.

“Yeah it’s a different kind of happy.” Sigrid added, agreeing with her brother apparently, it was strange, Bard had never really considered himself a lonely person, but since meeting Thran he realised he probably was, he missed having someone to love and hold at night and share his day with.

“Maybe. I still don’t know what to do.” Bard told them, trying not to look like a dejected puppy, he was supposed to be the grownup here after all.

“I think you should stop being a butt and be with mister Thran.” Tilda grumbled, stabbing her pasta with her fork and Bard smiled knowing it was seeing him again that she cared most about, not the possible tiara in her future.

“I have to agree.” Bain said as well, Bard laughed that time, it had been a long time since Bain had referred to him as something like a ‘butt’.

“You were really happy this week.” Sigrid shrugged before turning back to her food and Bard looked too Bear who was currently drooling on his lap and considered how much easier it must be to be a dog.

That evening he found himself thinking about what Thranduil and Legolas might be doing right now, but it was such an alien world that he just didn’t know. Hopefully whatever lecture Thranduil had been in for from his father was over for the day and maybe they were curled up with a book, Thranduil loved to read.

Bard was getting ready to settle down on the sofa before he realised he had his own room back now as Legolas and Thranduil had gone, Bard already missed them, it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours and he was already sat at home missing them and sad about the fact that he could sleep in his own bed because it meant that they weren’t here.

Bard spent the next few days agonising over the decision before him, he had thanked Percy a million times already for picking up his slack at work, he promised to take him out for a beer and explain what was going on the next time his mum could watch the kids for an evening.

The thing Bard was finding hardest was that he was having to make this decision now, make a decision that could irreparably change his family and Thranduil’s lives, and he had only known him a week. He had only known him a week and he was being forced to think years and years down the line about things like how it would effect his girls to have to grow up under that kind of pressure.

And in some ways, the fact that Bard even was considering it after just a week said it all, but there was the undeniable fact that however his heart felt he may well find things down the line that he did not like. That even if Bard decided to take the plunge and go for it with Thranduil, there was still no guarantee they would even make it, even without all the extra hardships that were going to come their way.

But whenever Bard thought about never seeing him again something cold and sour settled in him, something sad that would not be moved if he went through with it. The idea of never seeing Thranduil again was one that did not sit right with him and made him feel like he was throwing away something unbelievably precious simply because he was scared, even though he knew in reality it was not nearly as simple as that. But then he would pick up a tabloid and find a picture taken and published deliberately designed to embarrass someone famous and Bard wondered what kind of a father he would be if he knowingly delivered his family into that life.

Bard ended up not getting much sleep, if that was at all surprising, and even when he did get to sleep there was only one thing he dreamt of and it was a smile and a laugh he was genuinely scared of never hearing again.

He kept his promise never to google though. If Thranduil wanted him to know things he would tell him, Bard wasn’t going to go digging through papers and tabloids and magazines to find things out about him, things that probably weren’t even true anyway.

It was the fifth day when Bard made some kind of decision, and it was no mystery what prompted it, because after years of somehow managing to avoid any and all knowledge of their royals, Bard saw Thran on the television. It was the most innocuous thing, waiting in line at his closest coffee shop during a break from work and seeing him on the tv in the corner of the shop.

It was the new, the little caption claimed Thranduil was making some statement about where he had been over the past few days, but the tv itself was on mute so Bard couldn’t hear his exact excuse, probably wouldn’t have heard it even if the television was on sound, because he was distracted, distressed even, by one very simple thing. Thran looked tired, heartbreakingly tired, and all Bard wanted to do was gather him up in his arms and pull him against his chest and tell him that everything was going to be okay.

It was even worse knowing that Thranduil would have had make up artists all over him before being allowed to appear on the tv, and yet Bard could still see the tiredness around his eyes, the weariness sin his movements, Bard wanted to be by his side and help him through all his hardships.

“Sir? Can I take your order?” The barista asked him, trying to prompt him into action where he was staring at the tv.

Bard felt a little rude not answering but he was already drawing his phone out of his pocket and finding the number Thran had put into his phone, moving away from the counter and out of the shop as he dialled.

“Hello?” The voice that answered was familiar but tired.

“Thran? It’s me, it’s Bard. Can I see you?” He asked, he didn’t want to have this conversation over the phone, he wanted to kiss away the exhaustion from the prince’s eyes.

“I can come to your house?” The relief in Thranduil’s voice was palpable, happy for the escape again even though he did not yet know what Bard’s answer was going to be.

“Please.” Bard told him. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.” Thranduil said, voice almost breathless. “I’m getting in the car now. I just need to get Legolas.” Bard hadn’t expected such an instantaneous reaction, he imagined Thranduil must have been doing something, but then he had probably just abandoned it in favour of driving away.

“I’ll see you soon then.” Bard smiled to himself, it would take them a while to get here, it would be late when they got here, it didn’t matter, they could stay the night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it, should *fingers crossed* be back to regular updates now! Thank you for reading and for all of your support <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Smokes Batman! An Update! 
> 
> Final two terms of my final year at uni, it's filled with delights such as a dissertation and far less free time :')

 

 

Going back to work after that phone call and getting through the rest of his shift was possibly the hardest thing Bard had ever done. It was also probably some of the shoddiest work he had ever done, but in his defence he had a pretty good excuse. Still, Percy was going to require some serious repayment for covering for him, in the form of beer and baked goods.

Bard went and picked his kids up from school as he always did when he left work, knowing he had just the right thing to make the weekend far more appealing to the kids, all three of which had been rather glum since Thranduil and Legolas had gone home.

“I have some good news.” Bard said, going for nonchalant as he drove them all back home.

“Oh?” Sigrid asked, fiddling with the braid she had done for herself that morning, it wasn’t as good as the ones Thranduil had done, but it was still rather impressive for her age and lack of practice.

“Thran and Legolas are coming back.” Bard said with a smile he couldn’t help, he had almost said they were coming home, that was certainly what it felt like at least.

“Really?!” Tilda yelled loud enough to make Bard wince a little, suddenly interested in the conversation.

“Yeah.” Bard grinned at her excitement.

“How long are they staying?” She asked, practically vibrating in her seat.

“I don’t know, we didn’t really talk about it. We’ll have to ask them when they get here.” Bard said, feeling far lighter than he had since Thran walked out his door.

“I think they should stay forever.” Tilda announced, with a determined nod of her head, as if that was all there was to be said on the matter, oddly enough, Bard agreed.

“So you made your decision then.” Sigrid was smiling at him from the passenger seat, Bard felt like she approved.

“Yeah. If you guys are honestly okay then I want to try.”

“Of course we’re okay.” Bain waved off his concerns before saying something which he felt was far more important. “Do you think he’ll bring his crown this time? Oo! Do you think he has a sword?”

Bard just shook his head and laughed, he had a feeling his life wasn’t going to be boring again any time soon.

As soon as they got home Bard was busy trying to look like he wasn’t waiting at the door, even though he knew it was going to be some time before Thranduil made it, it was a rather long drive after all.

Bain took advantage of his distracted state and managed to convince him to let them order pizza for dinner and the pizza was on its way before he really realised what he had agree too, not that he particularly minded, he was far too distracted by the prospect of seeing Thran and Legolas again in just a few hours to mind. He also probably wasn’t in a fit state to use an oven anyway.

Bear knew something was up, that dog seemed to practically be psychic – well either that or he could just sense all the excitement in the room – and he was almost as worked up as the children were, chasing his tail and bundling into them all at various intervals. Bard was of course an adult and therefore managed to keep his building anticipation inside. Mostly.  

The kids’ bedtimes all came and went without anyone heading upstairs to said beds, Bard knew there wasn’t a chance of him getting them to settle down before Thran and Legolas arrived anyway, besides, it was the weekend, they could have lazy day tomorrow, everyone was bound to be tired, and Bard liked the idea of just holing up with Thranduil for a while anyway.

It was just past ten when headlights were pulling into the drive and the kids and Bear were out of the door before Thran and Legolas had managed to get a foot out of their car. He heard the deep melodic laugh that he had been missing sorely as Thran was barrelled into by three children and a dog, setting down a sleepy but quickly wakening Legolas as Bard leant against the door, content just to watch. He was pretty sure it would never not make his heart melt to see Thran and his kids.

It was Legolas that broke out of the swarm and bounded over to Bard first, Bard smiled at that angelic little face, blonde hair whipping around him in the wind, and scooped the small child up for a hug.

“Me and ada missed you a lot.” Legolas told him, hugging him tight, little arms looped around Bard’s neck.

“I missed you too.” Bard promised him and could feel his heart swelling as he realised Legolas was falling back to sleep against him. He really was a painfully sweet little boy.

Eventually Thran managed to herd all children and the dog back towards the house, Tilda holding his hand and chattering away at a hundred miles an hour, even as she yawned her way through most of the words. It was long past her bedtime.

Thranduil gave him a shy smile when he got to the doorway and Bard shared it before leaning over to press a gentle kiss to his cheek and heading inside.

Bard had set up an airbed in the girls’ room for Legolas, warning Tilda that if they stayed up all night talking there would be trouble. He would have put him in with Bain but there really wasn’t room on his floor for the airbed, and given that he had little doubt that Thranduil would chose to sleep wherever he slept, he would rather they were on his double bed than a soft but not really big enough sofa.

Through their combined efforts it didn’t take them very long to get the kids into bed, they were so tired anyway, despite the excitement. Legolas had apparently never slept on an airbed before and was enrapt by the concept, giggling as the bed wibbled and wobbled whenever he moved, but it didn’t take him long to nod off again, he had only barely managed to wake up when he arrived after all.

Bard took Thranduil’s hand and tugged him towards the bedroom, shutting the door behind them quietly and taking in the happy but exhausted smile on Thran’s lips.

“You look so tired.” Bard murmured, cupping Thranduil’s cheek and stroking a thumb over the dark circles under his eyes.

“It’s been a stressful week.” Thranduil attempted to shrug it off.

“I’m sorry I added to that stress.” Bard told him sincerely, he knew most of it would have been from all of the press and excuses about his disappearance, but surely not knowing what Bard was going to say had not been helping either.

“It’s okay now. Unless of course you’re about to tell me you’ve decided never to see me again. In which case this is an unusually cruel way to go about it.” Thranduil was teasing, but there was an undercurrent of real anxiety there, Bard decided the best thing to do was kiss it away.

He hadn’t forgotten the feel of Thranduil’s lips against his own, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t instantly intoxicated with the feeling again. Thranduil’s lips were impossibly soft really, his hair was just as silken as Bard remembered when his hand came up to hold the back of Thranduil’s head, deepening their kiss for a little while before finally pulling away.

“The idea of never seeing you again is one I have found I cannot tolerate.” Bard smiled, pressing another chaste kiss to those pink lips. “There are some things I want to talk about, in the morning though. You look like you’re about to fall asleep on your feet.”

“That probably isn’t too far from the truth.” Thranduil admitted. “Your bed looks even more inviting than usual.” He then teased, Bard rolled his eyes and nudged Thranduil towards the bathroom.

Ten minutes later they were both curled up under the covers, Thranduil tucked up against Bard’s chest, right where he belonged, with Bard’s arm firmly around his waist, they were both fast asleep in minutes.

Waking up with Thranduil in his arms felt like a part of the universe had just righted itself, especially as an adorably sleep-mussed blonde turned in his arms and snuggled against Bard’s chest, pressing a kiss against his neck and Bard could feel the smile on those lips.

“I really did miss you.” Bard said simply as he ran his fingers through Thranduil’s hair, his other hand stroking down his smooth back.

“And I you.” Thranduil answered before stretching out like a pampered cat.

Bard had no idea if the children were more likely to stay in bed for hours yet because they had such a late night, or if they were going to appear any second hopped up on excitement demanding Thranduil’s attention for the entire day.

“What would his royal highness like for breakfast?” Bard asked, dropping a kiss to Thranduil’s forehead just because he could before rolling out of bed and heading to the wardrobe.

“What do you have?” Thranduil enquired, rolling onto his stomach and watching Bard from the bed. “I am very partial to your French toast if you have the ingredients and don’t mind.”

“I’m sure I can manage it.” Bard grinned before heading into the bathroom for a quick shower.

Bard headed downstairs to get started on breakfast while Thranduil showered got dressed, there was no sound from any of the kids’ rooms yet and Bard was happy to let them sleep in after their late night, glad for it as it meant they wouldn’t be entirely dead on their feet come Monday.

Thranduil appeared just as Bard was putting his toast on a plate, accompanied by fruit juice and a kiss, he hoped it became a morning routine of theirs. Thranduil smiled, his hair as wet from the shower and he was dressed in elegant but casual clothes, having at least found the thought to actually pack some clothes for him and Legolas this time before jumping in the car and driving away.

Bear had settled down on Thranduil’s feet – a seal of approval if ever there was one – and Bard figured now was as good a time as any for them to talk through things, the kids were all still fast asleep, and it was better than leaving it any longer.

“I want to be with you.” Bard said, not really knowing how to start and deciding that just diving in was probably best. Thranduil’s eyes flickered up to his own and a small smile played on his lips.

“I want to be with you too.”

“But I think we both know this isn’t going to be able to be a simple or normal courtship.” Bard continued, there was no point in sidestepping the issue after all, Thranduil nodded more soberly.

“I know.”

“So I was hoping that maybe we could keep it quiet, at least for a little while. I want to be able to get to know you, to spend time with just you and Legolas before I’m forced to deal with everything else as well. I mean in reality, feelings aside, we’ve not even known each other very long yet and I just want a chance to be us, to be Thran and Bard before we have to be anything else.” Bard did his best to explain, and by the look on his face, Thranduil got it.

“I want that too. I don’t want to have to share you with the world. I want to have the time to do as my heart is telling me rather than what everyone is telling me to for once in my life.”

“Then we’ll deal with whatever the future holds for us when we get there? And we’ll deal with it together?” Bard asked, he could hear the way his voice was filled with hope just as he could see it reflected in the look on Thranduil’s smooth face.

“Together.” Thranduil smiled and Bard leant across the little table and pulled Thranduil into another kiss.

“I’m not sure how long we’ll realistically be able to keep it from people. I think our best option is to make up some cover story, that we’re reunited old friends or something just in case we are seen together, should stop people speculating too much, at least for a little while.” Thranduil said after a little while, his face was thoughtful as he came up with all the ways to make it work. “Will it be okay if I tell my father?”

“Will your father be okay if you tell him?” Bard snorted, he couldn’t imagine King Oropher was going to be particularly pleased to hear about any of this.

“It’s complicated. He wouldn’t care who I wanted to be with if the world could manage not to care as well, but he’s scared of what it would mean, and I don’t even mean for the country, he’s scared that we won’t be able to be happy, that the world just won’t allow it. That it will destroy what we have until it pulls us apart. He wants to maintain appearances and of course he would be happier if I found a nice woman to be with, but he also wants to protect me from that hurt. But he loves me, he’ll stand by the choice I make, even if he wished it was a different choice.” Thranduil explained, and his words were sure, Bard believed them, he hated how complicated this all already was, but he was willing to try.

“Do you think the world will ruin it?” Bard asked, worrying at his bottom lip, Thranduil had more experience with the world press than Bard did, even if he wasn’t naive to its cruelties.

“I’m not going to let it.” Thranduil said defiantly, eyes blazing briefly, and though it was bound to be rather unpleasant at times, he truly believed Thran, that they would get through it.

“Good.” Bard answered, taking a sip of his coffee. “I won’t either.”

“I should probably call my father now. I’ve no doubt he already knows where I’ve gone, and he’ll know what to do, at least in the short term, even if he isn’t happy about it.” Thranduil said and Bard nodded, clearing Thranduil’s plate as Thranduil got out his phone and wandered into the living room to make his call.

Bard hoped it wasn’t a total disaster telling Oropher, he trusted Thranduil’s judgement and he knew he was right as well, Oropher would be a good person to have in the loop, someone at least half on their side, especially when it came to the idea of hiding their relationship in the short term. He also had a feeling Oropher would be coming up with ‘worst case scenario’ plans before he was even off the phone with his son, just in case someone found them out before they came forward of their own volition. Bard sincerely hoped they wouldn’t need those kinds of contingency plans, but he was also realistic enough to know that it would be stupid not to have them.

Bard did a valiant job of keeping the children out of the living room and interrupting Thranduil’s rather important and likely stressful phone call when they came down stairs and he still hadn’t finished. Bard was sure he wouldn’t have been able to do it without bribing them all with bacon sandwiches.

Just over an hour after he had disappeared into the living room Thranduil reappeared, looking a little more tired than he had before, but also with a smile on his face that was suggesting to Bard that the conversation hadn’t gone terribly. They didn’t get a chance to talk about it until much later as the children monopolised their attention, coming up with game after game that they wanted to play, and Tilda seemed determined to tell Thranduil about every single thing she had done in school that week.

There were also the endless questions about what it was like to be a prince and would they be princes and princesses and would they get tiaras and Thranduil looked a tad overwhelmed, but it was the good kind of overwhelmed. Meanwhile Legolas was telling him all sorts of funny stories about his ada, giggling like mad whenever he remembered a particularly embarrassing one, Thranduil glared at Legolas but there was never any heat in it, only love.  

It was a day filled with silly games and the endless chatter of small children and Bard was hit again with astonishment not only at how much he felt for Thranduil already, but how much his kids had taken to him too. Even with their wildly disparate lives they seemed to manage to fit together almost seamlessly.

It wasn’t until the evening, the children all tucked back into bed that they got a chance to talk about what Oropher had said on the phone.

“He’s going to help us, but I would be prepared for him to be a little chilly towards you for a while.” Thranduil told him with an apologetic look.

“I wouldn’t have expected any different.” Bard assured him, giving Thranduil a squeeze with the arm wrapped around his waist.

“He thinks keeping it quiet for now is a good idea, which isn’t surprising, so he’s more than willing to help with that which will make it infinitely easier for me to get out to see you as much as I can.”

“I would have you here as often as you can stay.” Bard said, honestly he was pretty sure they both knew that he would happily have Thranduil never leave.

“Good.” Thranduil smirked, twisting in Bard’s arms on the sofa to kiss him. “I have to go back on Monday, I think father wants to strategize with me about this, make sure we’re both on the same page, but I should be able to come back next week for a few days.”

“Sounds wonderful.” Bard told him.

They retreated back upstairs for the night and Thranduil stripping off his clothes and leering at him from the middle of his bed was really all the invitation he needed before crawling on with him and ravishing him as thoroughly as such a beautiful prince deserved before they both fell down in a sated pile and drifted off to sleep, tangled together and smiling.

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, I hope you are still enjoying this silliness, hopefully things should actually start to happen soon :')


	10. Chapter 10

 

 

Bard woke for the third time in his life with Thranduil wrapped up in his arms, and he had known after the first time that it was how he wanted to make up every day for the rest of his life. That was still completely true. It was a reassuring thought to have first thing in the morning, he wasn’t sure how he would have handled one of doubt about whether he had made the right decision.

He knew he had.

But unfortunately his surety did not shield either of them from the reality of their new situation.

Still, a little indulgence here and now, in the safety of his home, was not going to harm anyone or anything.

Bard started laying soft kisses against the nape of Thranduil’s smooth neck, brushing his soft hair out of the way as he worked his way up to nibble gently on a newly exposed earlobe.

“Mmmm.” Thranduil hummed sleepily, deep voice filled with contentment as his eyes fluttered open.

“Good morning your highness.” Bard teased, rubbing his scruff along Thranduil’s perfect jawline in the way he already knew that he loved.

“If this is how I am to be woken by you every morning, I might find myself converted to a morning person yet.” Thranduil smiled, twisting and leaning back to meet Bard in a slow kiss.

“Let’s not go too far. You’ve yet to actually get out of bed.” Bard pointed out, grinning as Thranduil turned to face him and snuggled back down into the bed.

“A very astute observation. And you’re quite right, I do find myself loathe to leave the bed. Or indeed to allow you to leave it either.” Thranduil smirked wickedly, leaning forwards again for a kiss that could only be described as lecherous, teeth catching on Bard’s lower lip as he pulled back away.

“What about if I promise to bring you breakfast in bed, your Majesty?” Bard teased.

“Hmm, only if you ravish me first.” Thranduil demanded in such an affected and posh accent Bard could not suppress his laugh, Thranduil pouted around his own smile. “I assure you I was being quite serious.”

“Oh I bet you were. Unfortunately, I am acutely aware that in about five minutes the kids will wake up and in about ten they will be bursting through that door. I’m not sure who would need more therapy after that.” Bard pointed out, Thranduil turning to look at the clock and sighing a dramatic sigh that Bard took as agreement.

“Then I supposed breakfast in bed will just have to suffice.” Thranduil continued his ridiculous accent. Bard tossed a pillow at him, Thranduil attempted to huff but really just looked delighter. Bard figured no one had ever dared to affectionately throw a pillow at the crown prince before.

“Stay here. I’ll be back.” Bard promised, pressing a final kiss to those plush lips before tugging on some loose sweats and heading to the kitchen, Bear barging past him and up onto the bed as soon as the door was open. Thranduil didn’t seem to mind.

He found the ingredients for pancakes and started cooking up enough for everyone to stuff their collective faces. Just as he was piling up the last batch Bard heard the sounds of children plodding at various sleepy speeds into his bedroom.

“I bring great tidings of pancakes and cream.” Bard grinned as he toed open the door to let himself in, discovering that unsurprisingly there was not enough room on his relatively small double bed for two grown men, four children and one ridiculously large dog.

Thranduil probably had a bed the size of Bard’s bedroom.

He was met with cheers as everyone grabbed precariously balanced plates off of him and started tucking in, Bard setting down on the floor with Sigrid and Bear to munch.

“Da, can we go out to the lake today? I know it would be fun and Legolas and Mister Thran have never seen it!” Tilda proposed, bouncing up and down slightly on the bed in her excitement.

“I’m afraid Legolas and Thran need to go home again bu- ” Bard was then cut off by collective protests from all of the children and Bear who chipped in with a excited bark at all the sudden noise.

“No! Please please please can they stay longer?”

“I don’t want to go yet, can’t we stay, I will be good as gold I promise!”

“But they only just got here again!”

“Surely they can stay a bit longer? Just a bit?”

All three of the children pleaded with both him and Thranduil, clearly overestimating how much control they had over any of this. If they could have their way, Thranduil and Legolas would not be going home yet.

“I’m afraid we need to. Though I promise we will be back again soon.” Thranduil attempted to placate them, though all four of them looked completely prepared to argue the point some more.

“But why do we have to go again. We only just got here.” Legolas implored, training big watery blue eyes on Thranduil, a look which Bard was pretty sure could break the toughest and strictest parent on the planet.

“Because I need to go home and speak with grandfather about what is going to happen next. We are going to be facing quite a few changes in the not too distant future.” Thranduil explained, and the children didn’t look pacified exactly, but they accepted it nonetheless.

“Yeah. Though you all should know that for a little while at least, we’re going to be keeping our relationship a secret. I think we all need a little time to process and spend more time together before we have our peace taken away.” Bard added, all of the children looking understanding, especially, surprisingly, Legolas.

“Don’t want smelly news ‘porters saying stuff and butting in when they’re n’allowed.” He mumbled, nosed scrunched up, Bard supposed given Legolas’ lifestyle, his understanding really wasn’t that surprising.

“That sounds best.” Sigrid agreed, older and savvier than her siblings, even though she was still really only young. She turned to Tilda. “This means you can’t go to school yelling about being a princess okay.”

Tilda huffed rather dramatically. “Fine.”

After that they all finished off their pancakes and Bard tidied up the mess as Thranduil and Legolas got ready to leave again.

“I really don’t want to go again so soon.” Thranduil murmured, slipping his arms around Bard’s waist when he came into the small kitchen.

“I know.” Bard sighed, finishing up the washing up. “But we really do need a formal game plan.”

“Agreed. Although hopefully it won’t be too complicated. For a few months at least it should consist of ‘hide and enjoy the calm before the storm’”. Thranduil mused as Bard turned and slung his arms low around Thranduil’s trim waist.

“Aye. That would be very nice indeed.” Bard concurred, nosing his way along Thranduil’s neck before leaning up and capturing his lips in yet another kiss.

It wasn’t like the last time Thranduil was leaving, with the question hanging in the air of whether or not they would ever have the chance to kiss again. This time there was no uncertainty, no doubt or hesitation from either of them about seeing each other again. But still, Bard couldn’t help but want to indulge in Thranduil while he had him. Even if they planned to keep their relationship quiet for as long as was practical, Bard knew he would eventually have to share Thranduil with the world. Perhaps that was why he enjoyed these moments so much.

“I should be able to escape again some point next week. Hopefully sooner. Though I know you have work in the week, I wouldn’t want to disturb you,” Thranduil said as the kiss broke.

“I would never turn you away.” Bard smiled. “So long as you don’t mind being here just you and Legolas during the day.”

“On the contrary, it will be nice to finally have a place where it ca truly just be me and my son for once. No one else hovering around or getting ready to burst in and drag me away to various duties. I feel you’ve provided us with a sanctuary like we’ve never had before.”

“Well I am happy to do so.” Bard knocked his nose against Thranduil’s before they both reluctantly parted.

“As am I. But we really should get going if we are to be home in time to avoid incurring my father’s wrath.”

“I still cannot believe how I spoke to him.” Bard groaned, scrubbing his hands over his face as Thranduil let out a melodic laugh.

“Neither can I. More to the point I cannot believe you got away with it.” Thranduil chuckled.

“I could get be hung drawn and quartered.” Bard grumbled, only making Thranduil laugh louder.

“Oh my dear Bard. Never change.” Thranduil smiled, pressing a delicate kiss to Bard’s cheek.

After that it was a case of finding Legolas. Because he had apparently decided to hide. Bard had to hand it to him, he had hidden well. He suspected Tilda of helping.

“Legolas you have to come out. We need to go. Please?” Thranduil called out, only to be met with stoic silence.

Really the house was not big by any standards, how Legolas had managed to so thoroughly hide himself was a mystery.

“I know you know where he is.” Bard looked to Tilda, unfortunately he had never perfected the stern father face and Tilda absolutely had perfected the innocent darling act.

“Leaf we have to go or grandfather will be angry that we are late.” Thranduil called again, able to make his voice travel well without really shouting as they continued to search the house, Bear was being utterly useless in the search, apparently having sided with the children on this one. “I’ll get you some ice-cream on the way? The stuff you like that grandfather won’t have at home.” Still silence, apparently the prospect of ice-cream was not enough of an incentive to come out of hiding.

“Legolas, this isn’t like last time, you’ll be coming back soon.” Bard tried, with no luck either. The boy really was startlingly good at being very very quiet. Bard reckoned he probably had plenty of practice hiding from various instructors back at the palace.

Thranduil heaved a great sigh pressing a hand to his temple as he spoke. “Legolas, the later we are the less likely it is that grandfather will let us come back next week.”

“What! No that’s not fair. He can’t stop us!” Legolas yelled, popping up out of the laundry bin of all places, at least it was empty, he’d put a load of washing on this morning.

“Yes he can. He won’t let us run off like we did the other week again you can be sure of that.” Thranduil said and Bard agreed, much as it might rankle his feathers, he knew that everything they did now needed to be okay with Oropher. They needed him on their side. Besides, Bard trusted he would try to help them, well, help Thranduil and limit damage at least.

“But – ”

“No buts little leaf, come on, we’re behind schedule already.” Thranduil said, lifting Legolas up and carrying him downstairs on his hip.

“I hate stinky schedules.” Legolas grumbled, making both Bard and Thranduil laugh a little.

Goodbyes were said, and Thranduil promised that he would try to call him when he knew when he was going to be able to return and then far too soon for Bard’s liking, Thranduil and Legolas were driving away again.

The children were a little down because of the departure of Thran and Legolas, but not nearly so much as last time, because this time they went with a promise to return.

Their spirits were lifted when Bard’s mother came to take care of them one evening, giving Bard the long overdue chance to apologise to Percy for having to pick up his slack at work lately in the form of drinks on him.

“So. You going to tell me what’s had you so distracted lately?” Percy asked as soon as they were sat, never one to beat around the bush, it was one of the many reasons Bard liked him so much.

“I would love to. But I can’t, not yet anyway.” Bard replied with a slight grimace. He’d been going back and forth about whether or not to tell Percy. He knew he’d keep the secret (if he could even get him to believe it of course), but had decided that in the end he hadn’t spoken to Thranduil about telling Percy and it wasn’t only his secret after all.

“Well, that was underwhelming.” Percy snorted and Bard couldn’t help a laugh.

“I’m sorry. I promise you as soon as I am at liberty to tell you you will know.”

“Bard.” Percy fixed him with a highly serious expression. “Do you need me to help move a body?”

“What? No! Of course not you lunatic.” Bard laughed harder, Percy joining him.

“I’m just sayin’, if you’re in some kind of trouble I can and will provide you with an alibi.” Percy said through their chuckles and Bard didn’t doubt it.

“I swear. It’s nothing so nefarious. Though why you immediately assumed the worse is worrying.”

“Just covering the bases.” Percy grinned.

“You really haven’t.” Bard snorted, Percy shooting him a searching look. “Let’s just say you couldn’t possibly guess.”

“Well now I’m really curious.”

“Have another beer and drown that curiosity. For now at least.”

“Your buying.”

“Yeah. I’m buying.” Bard agreed, with another laugh and another round.

 

Bard did not get a phone call even past when he expected one, he guessed things were just taking longer than Thranduil expected. They texted occasionally, checking in with one another, usually in the evenings when Thranduil’s father let up and he wasn’t too tired to do anything but sleep.

That being said he hadn’t heard from Thranduil in a few days. Probably frantically trying to finish things up so he could escape back up to them. But he supposed one perk of being with the prince of England was that he was be well aware if something had happened to him, so there really wasn’t cause to worry.

So Bard was not expecting to open the door that Sunday evening and find Thranduil and Legolas standing there, looking tired and moderately sheepish.

And he most certainly was not expecting Oropher to be stood behind them.

Oropher. You know. The king.

“I assume we can come in.” Oropher stated rather than asked, voice simultaneously stoic and contemptuous and bored.

“Right, yeah. ‘Course. Come on in.” Bard said, opening the door wider and stepping aside, and really, they had only been stood there a couple of seconds.

“Sorry.” Thranduil whispered as he went past pressing a kiss to Bard’s cheek.

Oropher frowned and marched in himself.

He was pretty sure he forgot to bow again. Sod it.

“Mister Thran!” Tilda shouted, charging towards him to throw her little arms around him again.

Bain and Sigrid followed her in a swiftly ground to a halt when they noticed Oropher.

“Oh. Um, sorry, your majesty?” Sigrid muddled out, taking her best attempted at a curtsey. It made Oropher smile which relived Bard no end.

“The Lady of the house I presume. A pleasure.” Oropher said, Sigrid blushed and looked utterly delighted.

“Are you Thranduil’s da?” Tilda asked, scampering over to where Oropher was imperiously perched and peering up at him, Bard held his breath.

“I am.” Oropher seemed remarkably unfazed.

“So you’re king?”

“I am.”

“Can I be a princess one day now?”

“Possibly.” Oropher answered, which didn’t seem to satisfy Tilda who had scrunched her face up, Bard was getting ready to intervene when Oropher spoke again. “Though I admit it would not be a hardship to have such a beautiful little princess in the palace.” He finished, which delighted Tilda no end.

“I think maybe you kids should all go upstairs for a little while? Let the grown-ups talk.” Bard suggested, Tilda looked ready to protest again, her curiosity always getting the better of her, but Sigrid grabbed her hand.

“We can play your new game with Legolas.” Sigrid smiled, easily transferring her attention to something new.

“Oh please!” Legolas yelled and soon enough all four of them were charging upstairs.

Bard regretted the children leaving instantly. Suddenly he was sat in a rather awkward silence involving himself, his boyfriend and his boyfriend’s father. The king. His boyfriend’s father, the king.

Christ it was bad enough when your sweetheart’s parents didn’t like you. Let alone when that person was the bloody king. Bard just hoped Oropher disliked and distained the situation rather than Bard himself.

“So…would you like a cup of tea?” Bard tried, cringing inwardly at how that sounded but really not knowing how on earth to start whatever conversation was coming.

“What kind do you have?” Oropher asked.

“Uh, PG Tips?”

“I think not then.”

“Thran?”

“Yes and I will help you make it.” Thranduil answered quickly and before Bard could respond he was being tugged by his hand into the small kitchen.

“Bard I am so sorry I didn’t know he was coming with us until he was in the car and when he has decided something there is no stopping it however I try.” Thranduil whispered, apology written all over his face.

“It’s alright. And I imagine once you have your mind set on something it is impossible to stop you either.”

“True enough.” Thranduil laughed quietly, smiling as Bard pressed a kiss to his lips.

“I imagine this is not going to be a particularly fun conversation. Though I suppose he was kind to the children.” Bard mused as he finished making his and Thranduil’s tea.

“Yes, he is very fond of children. As for you, I promise he will come around to you eventually. He likes you I can tell, he just hates the situation. However, I can only apologise for whatever is about to be said out there.”

“You don’t have to apologise.” Bard smiled, pressing another kiss against those lips.

“Ready?” Thranduil murmured.

“As I’ll ever be.” Bard replied, each of them picking up their mugs, and heading back into the living room where Bear was sniffing at Oropher. “Oh. Sorry about Bear.” Bard grimaced, seeing the fur on Oropher’s clothes and ordering Bear upstairs with a whistle and a simple command.

“I prefer cats.” Oropher commented serenely and Bard honestly could not tell if he was making a joke or not from his expression and tone.

“Right.” Bard said unsure of how to respond and sitting down.

“I suppose you know why I am here.” Oropher started eventually, fixing Bard with a penetrating gaze.

“Not…really? I mean the general idea sure but not the specifics. I wasn’t exactly expecting you.” Bard pointed out, he wondered internally whether he should be calling him your majesty or not, o frankly what the proper form of address even was.

“I am here to discuss our plans. For the short term and the long term, as well as contingency plans in case the short term is not as short as any of us would like.” Oropher probably couldn’t look any more disapproving if he tried, but Bard appreciated that he was talking plans rather than bothering to try to talk them out of it.

“That sounds like a good idea.” Bard agreed.

“Of course it does.”

“Ada. Do not be rude.” Thranduil scolded at Oropher’s clipped tone, Bard squeezed his hand.

“Regardless. In the short term I cannot stress to either of you enough how important it is that you stay out of the public eye. And not just out, thoroughly sequestered away. Possibly the worst thing that could happen would be the country getting wind off this through gossip and tabloids instead of an official and planned statement.”

“I understand.” Bard nodded, Oropher narrowed his eyes.

“Do you? Do you understand that this will mean that the pair of you cannot risk going outside together until this has been announced officially? You cannot be seen travelling to the palace. Thranduil and Legolas cannot continually be seen coming here or people will get suspicious.”

“Could we not come up with a cover story? Reunited old friends or some such, I’m sure someone could come up with a better idea than that. Hell, tell them I found Thranduil after he went missing and we bonded. Tell them whatever. But so long as we’re not seen holding hands and kissing in public surely it would be okay. That has to be better than sneaking entirely and never leaving the house.” Bard suggested and Oropher stared him down in a way that was more than a little disconcerting, before eventually relenting.

“Indeed. I was going to suggest something similar. The story will be that Bard helped you when you went missing, the details will be kept pleasantly vague for obvious reasons. But it is still best if you are only seen together on occasion. The majority of your meetings will still have to be in private. Furthermore, if there is one thing I have learnt from life in a spotlight it is that secrets will always come out. Without exception. As such, I think the longest we can realistically hope to keep this quiet is three months. And like I say I cannot stress enough how important it is that the announcement comes from us, not the tabloids, we do not want this to feel like a scandal.

“That being said. Either by carelessness or dumb luck there is a chance the public will discover you before the announcement is made. That is the instance we must be readiest for. Bard, you will not like it but if it happens I must insist that you and your children come stay at the palace for the foreseeable future, if only to keep your children relatively safe from the vultures. You’d have them camped outside your doorway here in a mile radius. Therefore, if we wake up one morning and find you have been discovered, Galion will be dispatched to collect you and your family immediately.”

“That sounds like a wise idea.” Bard allowed, shivering internally at the carnage he would be greeted with on that hypothetical morning.

“Quite. I am afraid beyond this it is hard to plan as it depends entirely on the manner of your discovery. Though I can assure that I will have contingency plans drawn up for every possible scenario soon enough. Now all I can say is that damage control will have to be done and the situation will be honestly explained to the public. I am hoping that the…romance of your meeting will win over some of the public. However, I am sure I do not need to tell you, some in this country will except it, some will not, but internationally many will utterly abhor it and there is little we can do about, and trust me when I say to you both; that will effect you.”

“I know ada. I am ready to face that.”

“As am I. How knows, maybe we will improve the cause of LGBT people.”

“I have little doubt that is true. However, that does not mean your lives will be easy. The hateful are always the loudest, and they normally manage that even when in the minority. Internationally you will likely be facing a majority. Politically it may have ramifications with our foreign policy. But that is a problem for another time.”

Bard took a gulp of tea and attempted to digest. He hadn’t even thought about things like foreign policy. He was entering a relationship where his mere involvement was going to effect foreign bloody policy. He took another long drink of tea and felt bolstered as Thranduil squeezed his hand. Oropher was watching him and Bard had the uncomfortable feeling like he could read Bard’s every thought just by looking at his face.

“Despite what you may believe, I am not here to force you apart. But it is imperative you understand the magnitude of what you are doing.” Oropher stated, not unkindly. Honestly Bard was just amazed at how reasonable Oropher was being, he had expected a bit of a war.

“I know. I appreciate it, and I think I’m beginning to get it. Though I might be needing more tea.” Bard snorted and it made Thranduil laugh, kissing him gently on the cheek while Oropher remained unreadable.

“As far as the long term is concerned,” Oropher continued after a pause, “we do not need to worry so much about that as of yet, there will be time after the announcement is made. Some things will of course have to happen, you’ll have to move into a more appropriate town, leave you job and such, practicalities. A title will obviously be bestowed upon you, likely that of Duke, to make it approp – ”

“I’m sorry, what?” Bard interrupted.

He should probably stop doing things like interrupting the King of England.

“You will have to be made more suitable somehow.”

“More _suitable_. I hardly think making me a duke is going to win over the homophobes. I doubt my station is what they will have a problem with as much as my _gender_. I’m a mechanic for god’s sake, no, you will not be making me a duke.” Bard protested, doing well at least not to raise his voice, though there was no denying the annoyance in his tone.

“You will do as is necessary.” Oropher’s tone grew clipped enough to match Bard’s annoyance.    

“Yes. I will, I will do as necessary. Meaning that I accept that eventually I will be having to leave my town and my job – though I assure you I will not be doing so before _I_ deem it necessary, which certainly will not be immediately after our announcement if it can be avoided. I do not, however, believe that making me a duke is at all necessary. Therefore, you will not be making me a _duke_ for goodness sake. I’m a bloody mechanic.”  Bard just about managed not to stand up, but he did have to put his mug down, as well as his foot apparently.

“We will discuss this further at a later date.” Oropher pursed his lips and attempted to stare Bard down.

“Well I know exactly how that conversation is going to go” Bard grumbled and he noticed Thranduil barely suppress his smile.

“Ada I think that is enough for today. You’ve said what you came to say.”

“Indeed. I shall have Galion take me home. I can give you until Friday, after this visits are unfortunately likely to be less frequent.” Oropher explained, just as a thud and a yelp was heard from upstairs, followed by a cry for ‘ada’. All three of them stood up in alarm, but Thranduil assured them he could handle it and hurried upstairs, leaving Bard with Oropher.

Bard lingered awkwardly as Oropher stood and brushed himself off. There was a fair bit of dog hair on him. Was that worse than not bowing and talking back?

Oh god he’d all but shouted at the king of England.

“I may not like this Bard,” Oropher said quietly, but not before letting Bard squirm for a while, “but I love my son. And I would have to be blind not to see that you make him happy. I have not seen him light up like this in a long time. I thank you for that. I only fear the world will take it away.”

Bard was taken aback by the softness in Oropher’s voice as he walked to the door. “I won’t let it.”

“I sincerely hope you prove me wrong in this respect.”  

“I will. And he does for me too, you know. I know it’s been a ridiculously short time, but he makes me scarily happy too. I hope you know that.”

“I do Bard.” Oropher said. “I fear I shall be seeing you soon.” And Bard had no idea if that was an insult or a compliment but Oropher was already stepping into the backseat of his car.

He realised a little belatedly that Galion had apparently been sat in the car this entire time. He’d have to make him come in next time. Next time the King of England came over. As he apparently does these days.

Bard half wondered if this wasn’t all some bizarre dream.

“Is he alright?” Bard asked when he came into the girls’ room, Legolas cradled in Thranduil’s arms as he rocked him gently, quiet little sniffles being muffled in his clothes.

“Just a little trip, he’ll be fine. Won’t you little leaf?” Thranduil responded, Legolas nodding into his chest.

“How about a story before bed? I think we’re all quiet tired.” Bard suggested, unsurprisingly his kids demanded one of his made up stories (‘with the voices da!’) and Legolas lit up at the prospect.

It ended up being some tale about dragons and adventure in a far off world, Thranduil smirked as Bard described an Elven king rather uncannily like a certain prince, and Thranduil interrupted to describe his very own dragonslayer. There was a happily ever after. It was a good story.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good lord. An update. I've been so flaky I apologize, but hey, my degree is now in hand, so as long as I can resist the urge to play dragon age all day then updates should start coming frequently ^^
> 
> As always, comments are the best, sorry for not reply to any of them in an age, but I shall get back to it, because they do mean the world <3


	11. Chapter 11

 

 

The next few weeks of Bard’s life were unnervingly normal; he got up, rushed through a hectic morning routine with the kids, dropped them at school, went to work, finished work, picked up the kids, went home, cooked dinner, helped the kids with their homework and put the kids to bed, before finally putting himself to bed as well.

If it weren’t for the near constant texting communication from Thranduil, Bard was sure he would have convinced himself it had all been some inexplicable dream by now.

As it was, Thranduil was never out of contact for more than a few hours, sending him messages about anything from bored (and usually rather funny) observations about the meeting he was in to more serious questions and plans for the future. Their future. They had plans for Thranduil’s next visit, unfortunately probably not until next Monday and only for a couple of days.

Bard was looking forward to seeing him again, but he was looking less forward to the calculated activities Oropher had planned for them. They were to be seen somewhere casual – likely the local park so that there was something for the kids to do – acting like they were friends (and nothing more than friends). Oropher had actually given them instructions and measurements for minimum distance that had to be between them at all times (provided in both imperial and metric measurements for god sake), maximum time they may look at each other without turning to look at the vista (Bard’s local park really did not have what you would call a ‘vista’), and finally they were given guidelines about how familiar they were allowed to appear with each other’s children.

Those were the rules that really had Bard rankling, restrictions on his interactions with Legolas, and Thranduil’s with his kids, lest they get the wrong idea about how familiar they really were with each other. Which would actually be the right idea. Bard thought it was overkill, but took a deep breath and reminded himself that following these rules for a few months would stop all hell from breaking loose before any of them were ready for it.

Still Bard hated the machinations that were now likely to go on whenever he wanted to see Thranduil. Not that he could even see him whenever he wanted, indeed it sounded like he was going to need to plan any impromptu visits at least three weeks in advance.

It was ridiculous. But he knew Thran was worth it.

After been ‘witnessed’ at the park and the questions about who Bard was began to circulate Thranduil would head home (only a very short visit to ensure no one got any ideas about them of course) and release a statement explaining that he had met Bard when he got lost (the official story being that Thran had gone for a drive to relax and gotten lost, rather than that he ran away from his life for a while). Publically they would then say that Bard provided him with a much needed holiday from his hectic schedule, and that they were now good friends.

It wasn’t hugely far from the truth at least, things were generally omitted rather than made up entirely.

Sigrid had told him that next time Thran was there she was going to get them both Snapchat and Whatsapp because ‘no one texts anymore da seriously’. She was only nine, but he had given her a phone in case of emergencies, most of the time he could see her taking funny pictures on it, he guessed that was Snapchat. Sometimes he forgot she wasn’t even ten yet, so often she felt so much older, and getting taller to match it too.

Still, he liked the idea of Thran being able to send him pictures of him and Legolas when they were apart, so he had agreed to her plan.

Despite all the manoeuvring and planning that was having to go into his next meeting with Thranduil, and despite the fact that Bard wished that it could be simpler, he was at the moment, extremely happy. Something that didn’t go unnoticed by Percy or Hilda.

Bard had spoken to Thran about Percy, giving him a call as Percy hinted again at Bard’s big secret and meritorious happiness of late and honestly Bard really did want to tell him. He was his best friend for one, and Bard felt like he owed him the truth. Besides, Percy would not be the one to rat them out, if that were to happen. So eventually and without Oropher’s oh-so-helpful input they agreed that Bard should tell Percy.

Which was how Bard found himself sinking beer-in-hand into Percy’s sofa instead of at the pub as usual. He really hadn’t wanted to risk someone overhearing them, knowing his luck Alfrid would have managed it, and that was truly the last thing he needed.

“So, I’m assuming all the cloak and dagger means you’re about to tell me your Big Secret.” Percy grinned, sitting down next to him with his own beer.

“I just asked if we could meet here instead of the pub, that’s hardly cloak and dagger worthy.” Bard scoffed.

“It’s out of the norm. And anyway, stop changing the subject.”

“Okay. First off, you’re not going to believe me when I first tell you, but I have proof.” Bard started, surprisingly nervous about telling Percy, he supposed once people started to know it became more real. He wasn’t just seeing a guy he liked, he was seeing the prince.

“You know, I honestly have no idea what you are about to tell me. I thought by now I would have figured it out, but I am completely drawing a blank.”

“Considering what it is, that is not surprising. This sort of thing only belongs in trashy romance novels.” Bard said, Percy gave him a look that could only be described as ‘alright, out with it then’ and Bard scrubbed a hand over his face before plucking up the courage to just say it. “I’ve got a new boyfriend – ”

“You’re right that is unbelievable.” Percy interrupted completely deadpan, Bard laughed and punched him in the arm.

“It’s Thranduil, the uh, the prince.”

“Bullshit.”

“I promise it isn’t.”

“No way. Don’t believe it.”

“Here.” Bard said, pulling out his phone and finding the ones of himself and Thran, an ever-growing library. He passed it over to Percy and watched him flick through the pictures, astonishment and disbelief written on his face. There was little denying the photo of the two of them kissing though.

“Alright. You’re not a lair, you’re dating the prince.” Percy said, caught between not believing (because it really was _preposterous_ ) it and having the proof right in front of him.

“Yeah.”

“So how the fuck does something like that happen then? I’m going to need the full story if I am supposed to digest this information.”

“You know how he went missing about a month back?” Bard asked, Percy nodded. “Well I sort of stumbled over him and his son at a service station and offered them a ride. I didn’t know who they were at the time.”

“Only you could manage not to recognise the prince. It’s not even like he’s an obscure royal Bard, he’s the _Prince_. And attractive enough that he’s usually splashed over some magazine or another.”

“I vaguely recognised him, but I didn’t really think anything of it. I figured he was probably famous because he was worried about people seeing him, it wasn’t hard to see that he was running away from something, his – .”

“Wait, he ran away? I heard he got lost while driving.”

“That’s the official story, but no, when I found him he was running away from his life. Not forever, but for a while. Anyway, he ended up at my house for a week and well, we ah, developed feelings rather quickly.”

“After just a week?”

“Yeah. Its terrifying really.”

“You in love with him?”

“Not yet. But it won’t be long.” Bard admitted, he’d known it was true since that very first week. He had been in free fall since he met Thranduil, and he knew that by the time they had to make their announcement he would be utterly gone on him.

“Blimey.”

“Yeah. But that isn’t actually the scariest part of the whole thing.”

“Oh?”

“Oropher turned up at my house, that was how I found out about him being a prince. He was about ready to tell me on his own I think, but then Oropher was there and it all snowballed.”

Percy whistled in an impressed sound. “Is he as terrifying in person as he seems on tv?”

“Arguably worse. Or at least, worse if you’ve convinced his son in just one week that he wants to carry on with a man and tell the world to go fuck itself.”

“I think we need more beer.” Percy decided, promptly grabbing them out of his fridge and returning to the sofa, Bard was glad of the drink.

“It took me a little while to decide if I wanted to go for it – we’re going to be put through absolute hell when the world finds out, and I had my kids to consider as well. But they love Thranduil and in the end it wasn’t a terribly hard decision. Anyway, since then we’ve been seeing each other as much as possible, Oropher has given us three months until we have to make a statement because the risk of us getting caught gets too high. There’s long-term plans and short-term plans and contingency plans. I’ve also been informed that our relationship will like affect the country’s foreign policy for Christ sake. You know I think our relationship is literally classed as a state secret.” Bard finished, beyond relieved to finally be able to tell his friend. 

Percy just stared at him unblinking for a while, taking in everything he had just heard before finally speaking. “He makes you happy? Actually fuck that question I know he does, you’ve been happier than I’ve seen you since you moved back here. Look, so long as he still makes you happy, all that other shit isn’t going to matter, it’s just baggage. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, I’m pretty sure I can’t actually comprehend how shitty some of that baggage is going to be. But it won’t matter, not when it comes down to it, not if he continues to make you happy.”

“You always know just what to say.” Bard grinned at his friend, feeling an awful lot lighter than before – a burden shared and all that.

“It’s a gift.” Percy grinned back, slapping him on the shoulder and flicking on the tv as their conversation moved to far more normal things.

 

Eventually, after what felt like an age, the Monday Thranduil was due to come for his visit arrived. It felt like it had been so long that Bard didn’t even care that they were having to do a little show in the park at some point, he was just glad to see him again. It was just a bonus that his father wasn’t with him this time.

“I’ve missed you.” Bard smiled, pulling Thranduil into his arms and kissing him thoroughly – but only when the door was firmly shut behind them of course.

“As have I.” Thranduil smiled back, pressing one last kiss to Bard’s lips before greeting the children, Bard giving Legolas a hug too. “I’m sorry we can’t stay long. And I’m sorry everything has to be so calculated.” Thranduil grimaced, clearly feeling guilty about the whole situation.

“Not your fault. And I’m quite happy to go through it all if it means I get to be with you.” Bard told him, it made Thranduil’s cheek tint with pink, he did love making Thranduil blush.

They had the rest of the afternoon and evening free to themselves, Thranduil had arrived just a little while after Bard and his kids all got home from work and school themselves. They stayed inside, as per Oropher’s orders, Bard was surprised the kids weren’t going a bit stir crazy with all their excess energy and excitement whenever Thranduil and Legolas were round, but for now at least it seemed indoors was fine.

Thranduil raised a perfect eyebrow when Bard served the kids dinner and told him they were eating later, after they had gone to bed. It was only eight in the evening when they were all set to bed, Bard rather strict on bedtimes on schooldays, because trying to drag overtired kids out of bed and into school was not a fun pastime.

“Wait here.” Bard told Thranduil, who was sat in the living room, which quite unfortunately had a view of the table. “And cover your eyes.” Bard added, lifting Thranduil’s elegant hands to do just that, it made Thranduil smirk.

“Now I am curious.” Thranduil commented, but he diligently kept his eyes covered.

Bard knew he had done this before, a home cooked dinner and wine date. But they were more than a little restricted on romantic things he could do in the confines of the house, so dinner again it was. Bard was a good cook, but he had never mastered anything fancy, still, he had had an inkling about what Thranduil was likely to want above anything else, and he intended to provide it.

Once the table was laid with the nice table cloth, cutlery and plates set up with glasses of wine and candles lit, Bard let Thranduil uncover his eyes and led him to the table.

“Thank you Bard.” Thranduil smiled, pressing a kiss to Bard’s cheek.

“One day I will take you to a proper restaurant.” Bard promised.

“So long as I am with you I am happy, whatever we are doing.”

“Me too. But I have a long list of dates planned out in my head that I intend to take you on when we don’t have to be so careful anymore.”

“Oh? Such as?” Thranduil asked, Bard knew no one had ever really taken him on dates before.

“A picnic in the park, It’d be sunny and we’d lie together on the grass, lazily soaking in the heat. I’d take you ice skating, you’d be far better at it than me I’m sure, I’d hold your hand and we’d try not to fall over too much from laughing. I’ll take you to the cinema and we’d miss the film because we’d be making out in the back row, because I don’t think you ever had the chance to do that. I’d take you dancing, only you’d probably end up teaching me how to dance instead, you’d sway in my arms until the sun had long since set. And one day I’ll take you on a drive, there’s this beautiful spot up on a hill about twenty miles away, and on a clear night I’d make love to you under the stars there.” And one day, Bard thought, I’ll get down on one knee and ask you to marry me, but it was too soon for things like that, so for now, Bard kept that one quiet, though he knew they both knew it was true.

Thranduil was blushing again by the time he was finished, looking at Bard like he held the stars, and knowing that if he did, he’d give them all to Thranduil without hesitation.

“I want all those things.” Thranduil whispered, and Bard knew he was scared that because of his position they would never get the chance.

“I promise I will give them to you. All of them.” Bard replied, tangling their fingers together and kissing Thranduil gently when a couple of tears started to escape his usually so controlled expression. “Shh.” Bard soothed. “We’ll be happy. I know we will.”

“I’m falling in love with you. And it’s happening so fast it terrifies me.” Thranduil breathed, Bard knew how he felt.

“You are not alone.” Bard told him, and they sat together kissing slowly until they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Who is that?” Thranduil asked, wondering who would be there so late.

“Dinner.” Bard grinned, Thranduil raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Bard went to the door a collected the food, tipping the delivery boy and thanking him for remembering not to ring the bell, which would have definitely woken the children.

“I figured,” Bard said upon re-entering the living room, “that you have probably rarely – or indeed never – experienced the culinary delights of a take-away pizza a-la-dominoes.”

Thranduil lit up with a huge smile and all but grabbed the boxes off of Bard, he had been right, apparently Oropher never let him have them. Fancily cooked restaurant pizza was all well and good, but sometimes you just needed the take-away version. They tucked in, Thranduil looking for all the world like he was eating ambrosia not dominoes and Bard congratulated himself for making the right call on dinner.

As expected Bard ended up messily eating his pizza, always managing to get incredibly greasy during the process, while Thranduil somehow managed to remind completely pristine, despite not have the extensive pizza experience that Bard did. An unexpected perk of this, however, was that when they were finished Thranduil caught Bard’s hand in his own and started licking the grease from his fingers.

When he hands were finally free of grease Bard was undeniably hard and Thranduil was looking at him with an innocent expression. Bard wasted no time before scooping Thranduil up in his arms easily and carrying him bridal-style up to his bedroom, much to Thranduil’s delight, if the kisses being eagerly pressed to his neck were any indication.

Bard spread him out on the bed and spent long minutes mapping out Thranduil’s long, elegant body with his tongue, reducing Thranduil to a whimpering mess before taking him slow and deep, whispering all of the filthy things he wanted to do to him into his ear and swallowing up Thranduil’s moans with a kiss as he came. They could be more adventurous when they weren’t at risk of waking up children, and for now, Bard was content to make love slowly to Thranduil, who melted beneath him.

 

Bard woke with Thranduil in his arms, sleeping soundly. Pressing a kiss to his shoulder, Bard slipped out of the bed and made his way into the shower before waking up the kids for school. Tilda didn’t want to get up and grumped a little that Legolas didn’t have to go to school so she shouldn’t have to either, to which Bard tried to explain home-schooling to her, and that as a prince Legolas would have a private tutor, before giving up and bribing her out of bed with chocolate milk instead.

Bard woke Thranduil with chaste kisses before he left for work and to take the kids to school, telling him to help himself to breakfast and lunch and that Legolas was still asleep. Thranduil pulled him down for a far less chaste kiss before finally letting him go.

That afternoon, after work and school, was time for their planned ‘casual’ appearance together in public, and Bard squeezed Thranduil’s hand before they ventured out with the prerequisite half a metre between them at all times; _at least_. It was under the guise of taking the kids and Bear to the park for the rest of the afternoon, all very ‘nothing to hide here’ being projected to the world. Bard kept having to stop himself from trying to take Thranduil’s hand when he pleased, it would take some getting used to, as would the stares.

It was weird, to have people watching them. Stranger had never taken an interest in Bard before, but Thranduil seemed not to even notice them – or at least, he was very good at pretending not to notice them. They laughed and chatted and never got closer than half a metre or stared for too long or acted closer than two friends might. It was infuriating. But at least most of their conversation revolved around making fun of the whole scenario, it made it easy to laugh at least (which had been one of Oropher’s orders, ‘You will laugh together like friends and you will resist the urge to stare at each other like swooning Victorian heroines’).

They stayed for the advised forty-five minutes (long enough to be seen, not so long for people to get brave enough to come up to them, apparently) and Bard counted seven photos that he saw being taken, which he was told translated into about seventy that would have actually been caught. Still, he was glad when they could retreat back to his house.

Thranduil had to leave again that evening, though they both wished he could stay longer. Bard kissed him at the door and plucked up the courage to ask him something.

“Next time you’re over, I’d like you to meet my mum, if that’s alright?”

“Your mother? Oh, I mean yes, if you like. Uh – ”

“Wait, are you nervous?”

“About meeting your mother? Of course.”

“I think if I can survive meeting the King of England, you can survive Eira Bowman.” Bard snorted, remembering his first and second encounters with Oropher as less the ideal. “Besides, you’re a prince, every mother’s dream.” Bard then grinned, trying to ease Thranduil’s fears.

“For a daughter perhaps. I’m afraid I fear in our case my position may well count against me.” Thranduil murmured, hands smoothing over his clothes a couple of times, in the only noticeably nervous gesture he seemed to have, one which most of the world would overlook as fastidiousness, but Bard already knew him well enough to know it was nerves in this case.

“Hey.” Bard said gently, tucking Thranduil’s loose hair behind his ear and cupping his cheek. “She’s going to love you, all my mother cares about is whether or not I am happy, and you make me happy.”

“Even with everything that is to come?”

“Even with all of that.” Bard said, before chuckling a little. “To be honest, I think it’s all the people that will cause us problems in the future that ought to be scared shitless of her, not you.”

“A reassuring thought.” Thranduil smiled. “I look forward to meeting her then, even if I cannot help all of my nerves.”

“Do you know when you will be able to get here again?”

“Hopefully within a fortnight. Though I think my father plans to suggest you publically visiting the palace at some point.”

“I’ll have to get the time off work.” Bard said, which hopefully wouldn’t be a problem, and he knew the kids would be excited at the prospect of going, and his mother wouldn’t mind taking Bear for a few days.

“That’s what I told him, he scoffed but accepted it. I am sorry it all has to be so premeditated.”

“You’re worth it.” Bard smiled, allaying Thranduil’s concerns as best he could.

“As are you.” Thranduil smiled back, kissing Bard slowly for a moment. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too. Now go on, hurry up and leave so you can hurry up and come back.” Bard grinned, and with one final kiss for Thranduil and hugs all round to and from the children, they left.

A few hours later Bard got his first Snapchat from Thranduil, it was a picture of a service station with a obnoxiously well drawn heart around it and Bard couldn’t control his laugh.

He also found an ‘I love you’ was the on tip of his tongue already.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Some time lapses will be coming soon, because as cute as the pair of them are cuddled up in Bard's house, I think we are all ready for the story to move on from there :') 
> 
> Thank you for reading <3


	12. Chapter 12

 

 

It took two whole months for Bard and Thranduil (and Oropher’s helpful input) to be able to organise for Bard and the kids to visit the palace. It had to be in the school holidays, too far too take the kids just for a weekend, Bard had to be able to get the time off work (something he was refusing Oropher’s help with, he might not like his boss but he really did not want the King of England demanding his time off for him) and it had to be at a time when no official functions or meetings were planned to go on at the palace. Apparently that combination was relatively hard to come by, so it had taken them two months to nail down a date.

They’d managed to see each other almost every other week, practically alternating between hiding and letting themselves be seen together (still keeping at least half a metre between themselves at all times _of course_ ). But as much as Bard might wish things could be different for them, simpler and less calculated, it didn’t really matter, because he wouldn’t give Thranduil up for the world.

If the two months had proven anything to Bard, it was that come what may, he had made the right choice.

Bard’s mother had loved Thranduil – not that this was hugely surprising – and for a while Bard had been afraid that the outpouring of open affection from her was going to drown him. It didn’t, and apparently they texted often, which was both heart-warming and slightly terrifying to Bard. She hadn’t even bothered with a ‘if you hurt him speech’, they were probably both a little too old for that anyway.

The public had largely swallowed the story about how Bard and Thranduil had met, but there were always the conspiracy theorists and the people who (quite correctly) believed there was a little more going on than that. But Oropher had said that those people did not matter, that unless someone caught a photograph (Bard and Thranduil had both glared daggers through him when he’d used the term ‘incriminating photograph’) of the pair of them proving they were more than friends, then the world was content to believe that they were simply friends.

In general Bard hadn’t been bothered by anyone. His friends had grilled him about his friendship with the prince of course, as was their right as his friends he supposed, but the general populace had left him alone, with the notable exception of one incident that was more of a surreal dream (nightmare) than the rest of it, an incident he was referring to in his mind as: The Magazine Catastrophe. He probably could have avoided knowledge of it all together if Percy hadn’t come into work one morning, laughing so hard he could barely breathe as he tossed a teen magazine at Bard.

There was a picture of him on the front. A picture of him at work in a greasy tank top bent over the engine of a car, with a second image of him stood up and wiping sweat off his brow. The cover had read ‘Forget the Prince, Who’s His Friend!?!?’. Percy currently had it pinned up in their office, and no matter how many times Bard took it down, the bastard always seemed to have another one. According to the magazine he was ‘drool-worthy’. He’d called Thranduil for moral support, Thranduil had also just laughed and said that he was, in fact, drool-worthy, so he couldn’t fault the magazine there.

That surreal experience aside, things had been largely normal between them, were it not for Oropher’s near constant ribbing and interference, Bard would almost be able to convince himself that they were just a normal if slightly long-distance, couple.

“You seem lost in thought Bard.” Thranduil’s melodic voice eventually pulled him out of his musings and back to the present.

He and Thranduil were grabbing some moments of privacy in Thranduil’s great library – apparently still the only room of the palace that Thranduil could expect a modicum of privacy in. The visit had been a little stifling so far, not that he hadn’t been pleased to see Thranduil (quite the opposite of course) but because the household staff was huge and most of them had no idea of the exact nature of their relationship. As such, they had to be wary all the time, not just when outside. What Bard would not give to be able to kiss Thranduil without having to check and triple check their surroundings first.

“Just thinking about us.” Bard smiled, squeezing Thranduil’s hand, they were sat close enough together than Oropher would give them a scolding if he saw them, but not so close that they couldn’t blag their way out of it if someone else were to catch them.

“Good thoughts I hope.” Thranduil replied voice teasing and almost sultry, horribly unfair when there was nothing Bard could do about it right here or right now.

“Always.” Bard answered with a wink, successfully making Thranduil smile.

Needless to say, it had also been a rather frustrating trip. Thranduil had snuck into his room on the first night, but given that he had ended up hiding in the wardrobe for a full half hour when Oropher and an entourage of household staff had shown up to spell out his itinerary and various dress codes for the day, they had decided that the risk was probably not worth it lest they want either a colossal reprimand from Oropher or ‘Crown Prince Found Hiding Half Naked In “Friend’s” Wardrobe’ splashed across the headlines.

The kids had wanted to follow Legolas around during the day, even to his lessons which was surprising, though they had been warned that unless they all listened to the tutor and behaved they wouldn’t be allowed to stay. But apparently they were as good as gold, or at least that was what the tutor told them whenever the children got returned to them in the afternoon.

“I don’t want you to go home this evening.” Thranduil sighed and Bard wanted to hold him for a while. He hated that the doors did not lock from the inside.

“I know, but I have to.” Bard replied, they’d been at the palace for four days and Bard had to be back to work in the morning.

“I know. It’s been a frustrating visit.” Thranduil commented, looking like he was resisting the urge to cuddle up in Bard’s arms and stay there for good, consequence be damned.

“It has, but at least we got to see each other, and I’m glad to have been able to see the palace.”

“I’ve barely been able to kiss you.” Thranduil pouted, Bard resisted the urge to kiss that pout right off his lips. “I hate that it has to be like this.”

Bard then got an idea, eyes scanning the room and honing in on a chair that looked about the right height, walking over to pick it up and take it over to the door.

“What are you doing?” Thranduil asked standing from the sofa as well.

“Locking the door.” Bard grinned, turning around when he had successfully wedged the top of the chair under the door handle.

“Oh, and why do we need the door locked?” Thranduil asked, pretending to be coy in that way Bard loved.

“So that I can do this.” Bard answered by pulling Thranduil against him and kissing him thoroughly.

Thranduil moaned against his lips and pressed his body up against Bard, leaving Bard contemplating the pros and cons of attempting to ravish Thranduil right here in this room, before begrudgingly deciding against it.

“When we finally have some real privacy,” Bard rumbled between kisses, voice rough and low, “I’m going to take you apart with my tongue.”

“You Bard Bowman, are an awful tease.” Thranduil gasped into his kisses, and Bard couldn’t help his laugh, nipping at Thranduil’s lips.

“Coming from you that’s pretty rich.” He laughed and Thranduil smirked, pressing increasingly light kisses to Bard’s lips before pulling away.

“What are you up to?” Bard asked as Thranduil started fiddling with something on a shelf, he smiled when he heard the start of soft music playing.

“Dance with me.” Thranduil smiled, waggling his elegant fingers at Bard, who was helpless to do anything except share in the smile and take Thranduil’s hand, drawing him into his arms and starting to sway with the music.

“Of course my king.” Bard answered, Thranduil blushing at the endearment. “Though I don’t know how to dance properly, as you undoubtedly do.” Bard apologised a little as he swayed Thranduil in his arms.

“This is perfect.” Thranduil sighed, tucking his head down on Bard’s shoulder, making it work despite his height. “I’ll teach you to dance properly another time. For now, this is perfect.”

Bard lost track of how long they stayed like that for, but it was a while. The song changed a number of times and he was fairly sure Thranduil was practically asleep in his arms, it made something in Bard’s heart settle entirely, knowing that this was how things should be between them.

“Thranduil?” Bard murmured, pressing a kiss into his silver blonde hair.

“Mmm?”

“I love you.” He wasn’t entirely sure why he had never said it before, he had known it for a little while now after all, but he was glad he hadn’t, because this felt like the right time to say it.

Thranduil went still in his arms before the weight of the world seemed to slip from his shoulders and he went loose and relaxed in his arms again.

“I love you too.” Bard smiled into Thranduil’s hair and there were a few more moments of quiet between them before Thranduil whispered so quietly Bard almost did not hear him. “Please don’t leave me.”

“I couldn’t.” Bard said truthfully, holding Thranduil a little tighter against him. “No matter what, I won’t, I couldn’t. You’re worth it to me.” Bard assured him, knowing that Thranduil was still scared that when everything came to a head Bard would find it too much and leave. But though Bard could hardly fathom what was going to come for them both, he knew it would never be enough of a reason for him to leave Thranduil now.

“We’re probably pushing our luck with that door, and the kids will be coming to find us soon too.” Bard said gently, after a little longer of holding each other. Thranduil nodded his agreement and with one more lingering kiss they parted, Bard taking the chair away from the door and both of them resuming their seats on the sofa.

It was a sunny day, and out of the large windows the sunlight streamed in. Even if there wasn’t much of a view, too much of a tourist attraction for that, too many busy streets and built up city, it was still nice, to be able to watch the world go by with Thranduil.

About ten minutes later the kids arrived, telling them both about their day and all the things they learnt with Legolas and his tutor before they had an early dinner and Bard and his kids had to head off again.

“Can’t we come with you?” Legolas asked, grumpy little expression only making him cuter in reality.

“Not right now Leaf, but we’ll go see them soon.” Thranduil soothed, petting a hand over Legolas’ hair.

“When?” Tilda prodded, arms still wrapped around Thranduil in her customary goodbye bear-hug.

“Hopefully next week.” Thranduil answered, hugging her back as best he could.

“Not good enough.” She grumbled, making both of them laugh.

Eventually Bard had to peel Tilda off of Thranduil, checking quickly that no one was in sight before kissing Thranduil goodbye and giving Legolas one last hug.

Of course, leaving a palace was never that simple, and after the goodbyes with Thranduil and Legolas they had to go through the highly convoluted process of retrieving the car and signing out of the palace. But before too long they were out of the palace and then out of London, heading back home.

All three of the kids were fast asleep by the time they made it back, which wasn’t surprising given how late back they were. One by one Bard carried them all inside and tucked them into bed, managing not to wake any of them up too badly in the process, before finally collapsing onto his own bed, which always felt far too empty now without Thranduil in it too.

Bard grabbed his phone off his bedside table and took a snap of himself and his lifelong love (his pillow), adding the caption _Home safe_ and sending it to Thranduil. He got a reply that made him grin just a few moments later, a dark picture saying simply _are you alone?_. He wasted no time in confirming that yes, he was alone and he was pretty sure he was going to enjoy whatever it was Thranduil had in mind.

(He knew exactly what Thranduil had in mind).

He was however a little surprised when in the next moment his phone rang, flashing up Thranduil’s number, rather than getting the dirty picture he was expecting.

“Hey.” Bard greeted, settling back down in bed, not caring that he already had a dopey smile on his face.

“Hey. Sorry about this week.” Thranduil said with a sigh, Bard could see his expression in his mind; mild annoyance and slight guilt, but mainly frustration.

“Don’t worry about it. It won’t be like this forever, and it’s not like that when you come here either.” Bard replied, shuffling around in bed until he was comfortable with his position.

“Still, we barely got to spend any time alone. I might have to come see you tomorrow to make up for it.” Thranduil teased, even though they both knew it would be at least two weeks before Oropher allowed Thranduil or Legolas to escape again. Really Bard knew Oropher was being very generous about how often they managed to see each other, but probably only because he was worried Thranduil would run off and get caught this time without his rigorously organised and fool proof visits.

“Well I certainly wouldn’t object.”

“I should hope not.” Thranduil huffed, but Bard knew he was smiling. Bard couldn’t wait for the day when neither of them had to go home because they shared one instead. “So…” Thranduil trailed off, managing to make that single word suggestive in that way of his.

“So?” Bard feigned obliviousness, grinning to himself when he heard a frustrated huff from Thranduil.

“What are you wearing?” Thranduil asked, and Bard couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing.

“Thran, that is an awful line.” He managed between laughs, he could practically hear Thranduil’s pout down the phone.

“Well I don’t know! I’ve never done this before.”

“Me neither, but I am sure we can muddle through it together.” Bard smiled, getting that warm feeling in his chest.

“So…?”

“So what?”

“So what are you wearing.” Thranduil repeated in mild exasperation, Bard chuckled only a little before answering.

“Just my underwear, you know what I sleep in.” Bard replied. “And I assume you’re in absolutely nothing at all.” He could feel Thranduil’s blush already. “If I was there I would kiss you, every inch of you.”

“Everywhere?”

“Yeah. Just litter you with teasing little kisses. Though if you ask me _very_ nicely I might give some parts of you extra attention.”

“What parts?”

“Depends on how nicely you ask.” Bard smirked down the phone, he could hear Thranduil’s frustrated whine, and how his breathing was getting steadily heavier. “I can’t wait to have you truly alone, where we don’t have to worry about anyone overhearing us or not waking the kids in the next room.”

“What would you do?”

“Anything you wanted. But I want to make you loud, I want to hear you whine and beg and moan and shout my name. I want to make you come so many times you forget everything except my name.”

“Tell me.” Thranduil breathed, a slight pleading in his voice already.

“I’d pin you down to your bed, that stupidly large bed of yours, and I’d strip you out of all your finery until you were completely bare under me. I think I’d just look for a while, drink you in, you’re so beautiful I could look at you naked and caged beneath me for days and not get tired of it. But we both know how impatient you can be, so I think I might tie your hands to the headboard; would you like me to do that? Leave you tied up and bare and needy for me?” Bard let his voice fall to a rumble.

“Yes. Please.” Thranduil was failing to keep the whine out of his voice, Bard loved the sounds Thranduil made when he was worked up.

“I’d kiss my way down your chest, over your stomach and past your cock. You’d whine at me for not touching you where you want it most, but I’d ignore you. Then I’d throw your legs over my shoulders and bury my head between your legs, licking my way back past your balls. I’d spread your cheeks with my hands and start opening you up with my tongue. Would you like that?” Bard asked, knowing full well what the answer was, it hadn’t taken long for both of them to figure out that _that_ was one of Thranduil’s absolute favourite things.

Thranduil only managed a somewhat strangled whimper in response, the sound making Bard’s hard dick ache.

“Are you touching yourself sweetheart?” Bard asked in a low whisper. “Tell me.” He pushed when he only got a moan as a reply.

“Y-yes.” Thranduil breathed, and Bard closed his eyes and let the image of Thranduil stroking his pretty cock occupy his mind as he finally shoved his own underwear out of the way, wrapping a hand around himself.

“Tell me.” Bard repeated, he wanted Thranduil to tell him exactly what he was doing to himself.

“I-I’m, _ah_ , just stroking myself.” Thranduil panted, and Bard could hear the tell-tale noises of him doing just that.

“Slow down.” Bard ordered, Thranduil whined again but he heard his movements slow. “Good. Now tell me what you want.”

“ _You_.” Thranduil breathed.

“Soon darlin’. How about for now you use those lovely fingers of yours to open yourself up like I’m going to do with my tongue next time I see you.”

Thranduil’s breath hitched and he made an affirmative sound, Bard hearing the sounds of the phone being moved and Thranduil grabbing the slick in his bedside draw, the phone likely being put on loudspeaker so he no longer had to hold it to his ear. He heard Thranduil moan as he presumably pressed his first finger into himself and Bard groaned, gripping his cock tighter and starting dragging his fist up and down to the sounds Thranduil was making.

“Does that feel good?” Bard murmured.

“Yes,” Thranduil whimpered, “t-tell me what else you want to do to me. Please.”

“Hmm. I’d make you come with my tongue inside you, fucking you open with it until you made a mess of yourself and could take two of my fingers easy.” Bard continued, Thranduil moaned in the back of his throat. “I’d be gentle with you while you recovered, stretching you nice and easy, getting you ready to take my cock. I’d play with your nipples when you started to get hard again, I know how much you like that. Then when you’re begging me for it I’d bury myself in you, pressing you down into the mattress and bending you in half with it.”

“ _Please Bard_.” Thranduil begged, the sounds of him touching himself becoming more and more frantic, Bard’s fucking up into his fist in tandem, managing to keep just enough of his breath to carry on whispering filth into Thranduil’s ear.

“I’d make you come on my cock, the tight little muscles in your arse squeezing around me. I’d fuck you right through it, until your boneless and oversensitive, then I’d wait with my hard cock inside you until you were ready to go again. Think you could get hard for me again?”

“Yes, a-anything Bard.” Thranduil panted, the slick sounds of him fucking and stroking himself filling up Bard’s ears and making him strip his own cock faster, imagining it was Thranduil around him, not his own hand.

“Yeah I think you could too. You’d be so sensitive but you could do it. You’d be a mess, all come-dumb and loose but you’d let me fuck you again. I’d untie your hands, let you hold onto my back or touch your pretty cock, whatever you wanted because you’d been so good. Would you come for me again? If I were hitting that perfect place inside you and stroking your cock?”

“ _Ah_ yes!”

“Come for me Thran.” Bard panted, starting to lose his rhythm, close to coming himself.

Thranduil keened on the other end of the phone and shook his way through his orgasm, Bard hearing the needy whimpers he made as he stroked himself through the aftershocks, he knew Thran’s whole body would be shaking with it.

Bard’s murmured encouragement as Thranduil came, still chasing his own orgasm as he did, hearing Thranduil slur out ‘one sec’ and knowing the snap he then received was going to finish him. Sure enough when he opened it to find a picture of Thranduil flushed, naked and covered in come it was more than enough to push Bard over the edge, lamenting it’s loss when the timer counted down and out but riding his climax out happily to the sound of Thranduil catching his breath.

“You okay darlin’?” Bard finally said after he had caught his breath, throwing on his dressing gown to stand on jelly legs and head to the bathroom, taking the phone with him, knowing that if he didn’t get up and do it now he’d fall asleep with dried come on his chest which was never nice.

“You’ve ruined me.” Thranduil responded, making Bard chuckled quietly, wishing he could be there with him to clean Thranduil up as well and gather him up in his arms to sleep.

“The feeling is mutual.” Bard assured, slipping back into bed and feeling how tired he was, he had a feeling it wouldn’t take either of them long to fall asleep.

“Fall asleep with me.” Thranduil whispered, voice already sounding half asleep and making Bard feel impossibly warm in his chest.

“Always.” Bard promised, his own eyes fluttering shut too. “Love you.” Bard murmured sleepily, he could hear Thranduil already snoring gently down the line.

It was a good sound to fall asleep to.

 

Bard was woken up at seven – a tragic ten minutes before he actually had to get up to go to work – in the morning by an entirely unwelcome clamouring coming from outside. Honestly it sounded like there was a herd of cattle just outside his front door.

Maybe someone down the street was being arrested and everyone else was feeling the need to stick their noses in (wouldn’t be the first time that had happened).

Bard didn’t know, but whatever it was he was going to tell them to shove off his tiny driveway because his kids were still asleep and he was pissed off that they’d stolen his final ten minutes of bliss from him too.

Bard stumbled downstairs after tugging on a pair of sweatpants, stilly fuzzy from being so rudely pulled from sleep, and wrenched open the door, ready to give the lot of them what for for being so loud this early.

The words promptly dried up on his tongue and Bard froze on the spot when he saw exactly what and who was outside his door.

A tidal wave of camera flashes came crashing down around Bard as what felt a million mouths started shouting at him in a cacophony of invasive and unwanted questions.

“Is it true you’re the Prince’s lover?”

“Is he inside now? Thranduil come out and say hello!”

“How long have the two of you been together?”

“Any tips on how to catch a prince?”

“Bard how do you think the country is going to react to this?”

“How long has the prince been gay?”

“Give us a smile Bard!”

“Is it true that you and Prince Thranduil have been lovers for years?”

“Hey Bard! Who Tops?” Was cackled at him and _that_ was enough to snap Bard out of his shock.

Bard slammed the door the moment he got his wits back together and sank down to the floor with his back against it.

They were still yelling questions out to him.

 _Shit_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading ^^ I hope you are still enjoying it <3


	13. Chapter 13

 

 

Bard didn’t have the luxury of staying sat on the floor trying to process what was happening because with the racket the paparazzi outside her door were now making upon seeing him, the kids were going to be up and confused any second now. So Bard dragged himself up and off the floor, trying to tune out the clamour coming from outside his front door and pretending to himself that his legs weren’t shaking.

They’d always known that this was a possibility, they had plans for this eventuality – plans Bard would be needing to set in motion as soon as he got his head together. But somehow, Bard hadn’t actually thought it would ever happen. The idea of his private life splashed across the front pages of tabloids and gossip magazines such a surreal idea to him that apparently he’d never actually managed to digest it as a possibility properly before.

He was now though. Well, less digesting a possibility and more of reality being shoved forcefully down his throat.

Bard picked himself up off the floor and climbed up the stairs at a resigned plod, where three confused faces were poking their heads out of their doors, no doubt to ask him what was going on.

“Da? What’s all the noise?” Sigrid asked, Tilda listing into her side and rubbing at her little eyes. Bard wasn’t even sure how he was going to explain this to Tilda, Sigrid was old enough to understand, Bain would likely be slightly confused but should just about get it, but Tilda was still only five.

“It looks like someone found out about me and Thranduil and decided to tell everyone.” Bard sighed, “Remember when we explained that we couldn’t tell anybody?” Bard asked, the three of them nodded in response, Bard wasn’t sure if he wanted to know how the world had found out or not really.

“Someone’s found out?” Sigrid said, worrying at her bottom lip. “What are you going to do?”

“Well, we have had a plan for this happening for a while now, I’m going to call Thranduil and they’ll send a car to come pick us up. So you all need to pack whatever clothes and things you want to take with you, I’m not sure how long we’re going to need to stay there.” Bard explained, hoping it wasn’t going to be too long, he really didn’t want to lose his job if he could avoid it.

“Does this mean we do have to go to school?” Tilda asked, perking up at the thought.

“Well, not today no, but if we have to stay for more than a few days the plan has always been for you guys to have lessons with Legolas’ tutor so you don’t fall behind.” Bard answered, although apparently all Tilda and Bain had heard was ‘no school’ and ‘staying with Thranduil and Legolas’ before they cheered and ran off to their rooms, presumably to start packing a bag; bags that Bard would have to check to make sure they hadn’t forgotten things like underwear in favour of toys.

“Is everything going to be okay?” Sigrid asked, wringing her hands together in a way that made Bard reach out and squeeze them in his much large ones.

“I hope so.” Bard told her, unwilling to tell her that everything was fine when she was going to have to walk out the front door soon and see – and hear – that everything wasn’t really fine. “Now go pack your things.” Bard nudged her gently, and with only a little reluctance she disappeared into her room.

Bard fished his phone out of his pocket and saw that he already had two missed calls from Thranduil in the last half hour, Bard cursed himself for not setting Thranduil’s number to ring even when his phone was on silent like his mother’s number, he just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. He hadn’t actually ever expected this to _happen_. The only silver lining Bard could find was that at least he wasn’t going to have to actually break the news to Thranduil.

Bard shut his bedroom door behind him and collapsed down on his bed, bringing up Thranduil’s number and hitting the call button, hoping that Thranduil was okay where he was, and not currently swamped like Bard’s house – not that journalists could get anywhere near the palace if the king didn’t want them there, and Bard had no doubt that the king would _not_ want them there today.

“Bard?” Came Thranduil’s slightly panicked voice.

“Yeah darlin’, I’m here.” Bard heard Thranduil sigh in relief down the phone.

“Thank god, I was beginning to panic.” Thranduil explained, not that it hadn’t been evident in his voice before. They were quiet together for a pause, both of them managing to find comfort just through hearing the other, ignoring the turbulent situation they had just landed themselves in for a few moments of peace.

“Are you okay?” Bard finally spoke, voice soft. Bard at least had the sanctuary of his house, Thranduil’s house had a huge staffing body, all of whom had not known about Thranduil and him till this morning, and who were swarming and no-doubt whispering about him all around his house.

“Well I was rather rudely woken by my father about forty-five minutes ago – which frankly was an inhuman time to be woken, crisis or no crisis – but other than that, yes, I am fine. We knew this was a possibility after all.” Thranduil reasoned, but Bard knew better than to believe Thranduil was fine just because he was making a show of it down the phone, at least later today he would be able to take the stubborn prince in his arms and work out exactly how okay or not okay he was about it.

“Yeah, I know. I guess I hadn’t actually believed it would happen this way. It’s not exactly pleasant.” Bard said, still able to hear the noise coming from outside his house, trying his hardest not to listen to what was being shouted.

“Are you okay?” Thranduil asked, concern suddenly back in his voice. 

“There’s a swarm of paparazzi and journalists outside my front door,” now there was a sentence Bard had never thought he would be saying, “but other than that we’re fine.”

“I didn’t realise they were there already. They truly waste no time in finding out where people live.” Thranduil spat, his ire rising and a protective edge in his voice that made Bard smile despite his anger – it wasn’t directed at Bard after all.

“Yeah they woke me up, the kids are packing now, I assume Oropher has already sent the car?”

“It should be with you in a little under two hours.” Thranduil confirmed, Bard could hear the apology on Thranduil’s lips even down the phone, and spoke before he could voice it.

“It isn’t your fault Thranduil, so don’t apologise.”

“I hadn’t said anything.”

“But you were going to.” Bard found himself smiling despite the situation, he loved that he knew Thranduil this well.

“I am though, sorry about all of this. I wish things were different.” Thranduil apologised anyway, as he usually did to Bard.

“If things were different I might never have met you.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Aye, I do.”

They spoke for a little while longer, Thranduil assured him that the household staff in the palace had taken the news in their stride (or risk getting immediately fired on the spot) so they wouldn’t have to endure any side eyeing or gossiping – at least within the walls of the palace. He also explained to Bard that the driver – none other than the entirely trusted Galion had apparently been sent – would pick them up at the back door, where hopefully they would be able to slip out of their back garden gate relatively unnoticed. Eventually Thranduil got called away by Oropher for planning damage control that Bard would be briefed on progress so far and brought into the discussion when he arrived, and Bard needed to make sure the kids had packed sensibly, make breakfast, and phone the school. Although they’d have to be fairly blind deaf and dumb not to realise why Bard’s children weren’t going to be in school today.

Bard hung up the phone to Thranduil and immediately dialled the school, the conversation was short as he expected, and he could tell that the receptionist was just _dying_ to ask him questions that she realised were highly inappropriate to ask someone who should be treated simply as a parent of a child at the school. Unlike the journalists outside his front door, she managed to refrain.

He got text messages from both Percy and Hilda. Percy telling him to ring him when he got a chance and checking he was okay, and the ever practical Hilda offering to run over some of the people outside his door with her car. She’d probably do it as well, or at least give them a good scare. Marvellous woman.

There was also a voicemail from his mother telling him not to panic, to remember that gossip gets old quickly (accompanied with some very colourful words describing the tabloids) and that she expects to see them all (apparently all now included Thranduil and Legolas) round for Sunday lunch in a few weeks. God bless his unflappable mother.

He checked the bags the kids had packed, happy to see that Sigrid had packed sensibly and had already started going through Tilda’s bag for him, which between the pair of them then became unpacking and repacking Tilda’s bag because she seemed to have just shoved a random selection of blue things into it. To be fair she was only five. Bain had managed to only forget his toothbrush and bathroom essentials, but he usually did so Bard had been on alert for that anyway.

A light knock on the back door indicated Galion’s arrival, and they managed to sneak quietly out the back garden gate and into the pokey little parking area for their row of houses without really being noticed until they were all safely entrenched in the car with thankfully blacked out windows. Galion calmly but resolutely worked his way through the journalists crowding around the car, turning up the stereo to drown out their shouts to avoid upsetting the children any more, and soon enough they were free of them and headed for the motorway.

It was a long drive and they had only just gotten back the day before anyway, the kids had insisted they wouldn’t complain about having to go to school the next day even if they were tired after a day of travelling on Sunday, and of course they hadn’t complained because they hadn’t ended up going to school anyway. But the three of them were fast asleep in the car now, Bard having elected to sit up front with Galion, not wanting to get into the habit of being chauffeured around in the back seat this soon, or ever.

Bard fiddled with his phone, turning it over in his hands and trying to resist the urge to go into google and find out exactly _how_ the world had managed to find out. His curiosity warring with the more sensible part of his brain that was saying googling himself and Thranduil right now would probably be the single most stupid and masochistic thing he could do.

“A photo was taken.” Galion spoke up, voice measured and soft so as not to disturb the children.

“Pardon?”

“I can tell you are curious, and I urge you not to go to the internet to find out, no good will come of it. But I can tell you, if you like?”

“Please.” Bard answered, pocketing his phone, glad the temptation to google them was no longer there.

“Photos were taken, no doubt using a telephoto lens, of the pair of you in the palace, presumably yesterday. You were dancing in the library, the curtains were open and it was a bright day, it is clearly you and the prince.”

“Crap.” Bard groaned, scrubbing a hand over his face, unable to help the feeling that this was his fault. He wasn’t used to having to consider things like open curtains and telephoto lenses.

“On the contrary. You are lucky considering.”

“How exactly is any of this lucky?” Bard snorted, unable to see anything lucky about this whole situation.

“While I cannot deny that it would have been preferable for a formal announcement to have been made rather than the tabloids getting photographs, the nature of the photos are very fortunate.”

“What do you mean?”

“They are intimate. There you are in Thranduil’s private study dancing around the room, our prince’s head resting on your shoulder, looking more genuinely happy than anyone has seen him since his wife passed while you press kisses into his hair. The pair of you are clearly desperately in love to anyone who cares to look at the photographs.”

“And that’s a good thing?”

“Of course. The tabloids did not simply manage to run a gay scandal, the genuineness of your feelings for each other is so apparent that most newspapers are running it as a heartrending love story instead. The hateful minority will be the loudest, I will not pretend otherwise, but they truly will be a minority Bard, you have won over much of the country in a few photographs.”

“You can’t know that already, it’s only been a few hours.” Bard said, though Galion had successfully made him slightly less worried about the situation. At his words Galion somehow managed to smirk demurely.

“Bard, I know everything.”

Bard couldn’t help but believe it.

If Bard thought the number of reporters gathered around outside his house had been extreme, that was put into perspective by the oceans of reporters crammed around the entire circumference of the palaces’ fences. He didn’t even want to estimate how many of them there were. Too many. Way too many. Even if Galion was right and some of them were selling a love story instead of a gay scandal it didn’t change the fact that they made Bard sick to his stomach on sight.

Galion drove them past the hordes of reporters with the same dignified aplomb he seemed to exhibit in everything he did, until they were safely inside the palace garage, where Thranduil was stood waiting for them, looking like he was desperately trying not to look agitated.

“Are you all alright?” Thranduil asked, coming over to the car and ignoring the footman (was that the correct title? Bard had no idea) and opening the door for Bard himself instead.

“Yeah, we’re fine. Not as bad as it could have been all things considered. You have far more outside your front gates than I had at my door, are _you_ okay?” Bard replied, pressing a kiss against Thranduil’s cheek.

“Oh that was to be expected. Father is working on a way to disperse them, ‘freedom of the press’ can be a nuisance in these instances.” Thranduil waved off his worry. “I’ve had rooms set up in the family wing for your children, they’ll be adjacent to each other and Legolas, with us only a few doors down the hall.” Thranduil explained.

“At least we’ll get to share a room this time.” Bard smiled, kissing Thranduil on the nose before opening the door to the back seat of the car and waking up three lethargic children. “Come on guys, we’re here.”

Bard shook Tilda gently to try and convince her to wake up, but Thranduil ended up carrying her inside anyway, though Bard knew she’d have to wake herself up soon or she’d never go to sleep when it was bedtime.

As it was, as soon as they were through the door Oropher and an entire team of assistants descended on them, depositing the children in the playroom with Legolas and Galion (not that any of them seemed to mind this, the playroom was extensive) and dragging Bard and Thranduil off to continue sorting out their plan of action.

“Bard, how much do you need to be filled in?” Oropher asked, not even waiting for Bard’s arse to hit his seat.

“Uh, pretty much all of it? All I know is that reporters were swarmed outside my house this morning and Galion said they got pictures of us in the library yesterday – sorry about that by the way.” Bard finished sheepishly, speaking to Thranduil who merely took his hand and squeezed it, before leaving them linked together – at least it was nice not to have to worry about that anymore.

“It’s not your fault.” Thranduil chided gently, leaving them sharing a soft smile.

 “Galion also said it wasn’t so bad though? That some papers were going for the love story angle rather than scandal.”

“Indeed. We are lucky in that respect.” Oropher acknowledged, resting his elbows on the table and steepling his fingers together. “It is not the papers that I am concerned about anyway, their reaction was predictable, albeit luckily on the positive side of our predictions. The pair of you knew what you would have to deal with from them long ago, a supportive few, a relatively ambivalent majority and a loud and hateful minority. There is little I can do about any of that. What we must concern ourselves with is the reaction of other nations; this could effect everything from our foreign policy to our economic standing.”

“How can our relationship _possibly_ effect the country’s economics?” Bard asked, disbelief lacing his tone, Thranduil squeezed his hand again.

“Well, it is possible – unlikely, but still a possible eventuality that we must prepare for – that some of the more…conservative nations around the world would cease trading. None one of too much importance I am sure, but it may still have an effect.” Oropher explained, Bard could feel the colour draining out of his face.

“That’s – That’s _absurd_. They would do that just because the prince of the country has a boyfriend?”

“You must remember Bard, that in some countries same-sex relationships are still punishable by death.” Oropher said, remarkably gently, Bard sort of hated the world. “You should not worry about it though. Trading will continue with the economic superpowers of the world, it is only small nations who would consider it – and hopefully none will act on it – and other countries will pay little attention to them. However, our relationships with a great many nations may well become…frosty.”

“Less pompous delegates visiting sounds more like a godsend than a consequence.” Thranduil commented, imperiously raised eyebrow and genuine distaste for most company that wasn’t Bard and the kids on show.

“Perhaps. Though do not be naive Thranduil, the snide comments and political snubs will wear on you both.” Oropher said, he seemed to be waiting for a response so Thranduil rolled his eyes and Bard nodded gingerly.

“Not if we don’t hear them.” Thranduil pointed out, obstinately refusing to acknowledge the worst parts of their current reality, much to his father’s exasperation it would seem.

“You will not be able to avoid it all. Though it is important you do not react with anger, only reasonable and calm words and arguments.” Oropher said, though Bard knew he would not be able to promise that, he could well and easily ignore comments made about himself, but he knew he’d have a hard time not getting angry at things said to or about Thranduil. “You will be held to a higher standard,” Oropher continued, “you would be as royalty anyway, but you will also be held up as gay icons and as such the heteronormative nature of our society will seek any reason to tear you down. You must become models of behaviour.”

“I’m not even gay. I have a history with women, so does Thran.” Bard pointed out ironically, they were bother going to be called gay for the rest of their lives even though they were both firmly in the bisexual category, they’d both had dearly loved wives for goodness sake.

“Quite, though few will care about that now. You are welcome to use your position to bring visibility to LGBT issues and other sexual identities, but you must never under any circumstances go about it in a way that can be perceived as combative, forceful or frankly less than angelic.” Oropher carried on, and Bard wanted to hit his head against the desk because it was all ridiculous and it was also all _true_. Bard also knew that one day someone was inevitably going to say something that was going to strike a nerve and he was going to yell at them – probably on live tv knowing his luck – and he was not looking forward to the ribbing he had no doubt Oropher was going to give him on that future day.

Oropher went on for hours more, outlining and explaining all the ways they could and couldn’t behave in public, how intimate they could behave before people started screaming (even more than they probably were now) about ‘gay agendas’ and ‘rubbing it in people’s faces’. What language they were allowed to use, what events they could and couldn’t attend, who to accept interviews with, how often they should be seen together (too much and they would again be ‘rubbing the world’s face in it’ too little and they would be accused of not really being in love). The list went on and on and on, but eventually Oropher released them from his clutches, ending on an hour long discussion about the press conference they were going to hold about this tomorrow and informing them to both write statements, which would then be checked over in the morning by none other than himself.

After Oropher spent almost half an hour stressing the importance of what they decided to say – wanting to strike a delicate balance between ‘we love each other and this is how it is going to be’ and ‘fuck you all we’re going to do whatever the hell we want’ Bard left feeling like he was about to have to write some sacred piece of scripture, not a press statement about his love life. Though he wasn’t actually sure which of those two would be preferable or more bizarre to him if asked a year ago.

They spent a long time discussing what they were going to say tomorrow, before having dinner with the kids and spent the evening with them, thankful that the palace was far enough away from the perimeter that they couldn’t hear all the noise coming from the reporters outside. They put them to bed (the children thrilled beyond measure when Thranduil told them that the rooms were now considered their residence and would be reserved for their usage whenever they were at the palace, all used to sharing a bedroom or having a very small room). Thranduil looked like he was about ready to combust from happiness as the three of them – and Legolas who refused to be left out of cuddles – jumped on him with their thanks.

By the time he and Thranduil fell into bed that evening, after hours of going over and over their statement for tomorrow, he was exhausted.

“Still love me?” Thranduil asked as they began to drift off, tucked into bed and into Bard’s arms. It had been a long and trying day, but Bard’s resolve hardened as he felt the genuine note of fear under Thranduil’s teasing words.

And whatever the next few weeks may bring, Bard knew the answer to that question, unflinchingly and unreservedly.

“Forever.” Bard whispered into his hair.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you are still enjoying it! <3 It broke 50k! Wooooooo! ^^


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